At least 14 athletes from Russia and Georgia had their doping suspensions lifted, days after officials relaxed the rules about meldonium. The drug was banned for 2016, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) changed its guidance on Wednesday, saying athletes could be cleared if only minute traces of the drug were found in their system.In Georgia, six athletes from the national wrestling team had provisional suspensions lifted, including Olympic silver medalist Davit Modzmanishvili. In Russia, the national Olympic committee said eight suspensions were lifted. The announcements made yesterday, follow a case on Thursday when the International Weightlifting Federation said two-time Olympic medalist Andrei Rybakov of Belarus had his suspension lifted.Lifting a provisional suspension doesn't mean the case is dismissed in full, but athletes are typically able to compete and train as part of their teams until final decisions are issued. The WADA ruling means future bans in such cases are unlikely.
News On AIR | April 16, 2016 8:07 AM
14 athletes see suspensions lifted after meldonium ruling