Popescu kicked out of Romanian Olympic team

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

BUCHAREST (AFP) — Romania have kicked middle distance runner Liliana Popescu out of their team for the Beijing Olympics for failing a drugs test, the Romanian Olympic Committee (COR) confirmed on Tuesday.

"The Committee decided to exclude the athlete from the delegation following a positive test on May 29 in Algiers," a COR spokesman told AFP.

No details were given however on the doping substance.

The country's athletics federation said that a B-sample would be tested shortly, but pointed out that Romania did not want to run the risk of competing with an athlete suspected of doping in Beijing.

"All members of the Romanian delegation will undergo anti-doping controls before the Olympic Games in order to avoid a financial catastrophe," said Octavian...