Belarus shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk, who was stripped of her London gold medal after she tested positive for anabolic steroids, received a reduced one-year sentence (instead of the standard two-year ban) from the NADA after her coach, Alexander Yefimov, fessed up to spiking her food with metenolone before the Games.
“You must be a complete idiot to take doping just before the competition,” Ostapchuk, who was tested 16 times between April and the Olympics, said last month. “Especially such an outdated drug as a steroid, knowing you’re going to be tested not once but probably several times.”
The real shame is Ostapchuk, the 2005 world champ and 2010 Euro champ, was considered a favorite after tossing her shot 21.58 meters at a July meet in Minsk. It was the best outdoor throw since 1998 and 0.22 meters farther than her gold medal distance. Yefimov received a four-year suspension for his involvement, which admittedly seems light given his misdeeds.