Olympic weightlifting champion Lyu suspended after positive doping test

China's three-times Olympic champion has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Thursday (Dec 22).

Lyu returned the positive sample during an out-of-competition test on Oct 30, said the ITA, which oversees the bulk of the International Weightlifting Federation's (IWF) anti-doping programme.

Lyu, who became the oldest man to win Olympic gold in weightlifting when he claimed the 81kg title in Tokyo last year, tested positive for erythropoietin, a prohibited peptide hormone.

The Chinese Weightlifting Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lyu won gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the 77kg category.

A number of doping cases have been uncovered in the sport in recent years and in June former international weightlifting heads Tamas Ajan and Nicu Vlad were banned for life for covering up doping offences.