Weightlifting: ‘Eastern Bloc’ cheats taking the sport down, says top official
By Brian Oliver RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Paul Coffa, one of weightlifting’s best-known coaches and administrators who has been involved in the sport for more than half a century, has blamed former Soviet Bloc countries for persistent cheating that has once more damaged the image of the sport at the Rio Olympics. Russia were banned from Rio for “bringing weightlifting into disrepute” and Bulgaria for multiple offences last year. Six 2012 champions were excluded from Rio because of doping, including four from Kazakhstan and one from Poland.