S. Korean weightlifter moves up to silver at Beijing 2008 after champion's DQ

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea weightlifter Im Jyoung-hwa has moved up to claim the silver medal in the women's 48kg category at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after the event's champion was disqualified for doping.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Friday that Chen Xiexia of China tested positive for a prohibited substance and has been ordered to return her medal in the women's lightest weight class.

The IOC said its decision entered into force immediately. Chen was one of eight athletes sanctioned by the IOC following its reanalysis of their samples from the 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Im actually finished fourth in Beijing and moved up to bronze last July when the original silver medalist, Sibel Ozkan of Turkey, flunked a doping test.

Im and Chen Wei-Ling of Chinese Taipei had cleared the same total weight, 196kg, but Chen got the bronze because she weighed 500g lighter than the Korean.

With the latest change, South Korea now has two gold and two silver medals from weightlifting in Beijing, and 13 gold, 11 silver and seven bronze medals overall.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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