Rio Olympics: Sonny Webster demands life bans from the Olympics for all weightlifting drug cheats – not just the Russians
SONNY WEBSTER says every drug-cheat weightlifter — not just Russians — should get life bans from the Olympics.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) barred all of Russia’s clean and jerkers from Rio on Friday, making it the second sport, after athletics, to ban an entire Russian team from the Games.
It follows evidence of Cold War style state-sponsored doping in 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports in the McLaren Report last week.
British 94kg champ Webster, 22, is one of just two Team GB weightlifters — the other, Rebekah Tiler, will contest the women’s 69kg division.
But he says seven athletes in his category alone have had doping bans in the past and should be kicked out of the Olympic family for good.
Speaking at Team GB’s training camp in Belo Horizonte, Webster, 22, said: “If anyone tests positive they should not compete in the Olympics ever again.
“It’s an honour to call yourself an Olympian, to be here and represent your country.
“I think I’ve got six or seven guys in my category that have previously tested positive.
“They are starting to catch people now from the re-tests they have done after the Beijing and London Games, which is great.
“More than anything, I feel sorry for the guys who missed out on medals and the opportunity to hear the national anthem on the podium at previous Games.
“That is a very special moment to have taken away from you.”
Athletics’ governing body, the IAAF booted Russia’s track and field team out of international competition last November and confirmed in June that the ban would not be lifted for Rio.
The IWF has now taken a similar stance in a bid to clean up a sport long associated with doping — with Russia one of the worst offenders.
Six of the eight-strong Russia team now banned from Rio have previously broken doping rules.
Four others were named by McLaren as being part of the Disappearing Positive Methodology System, where urine samples were switched to cover up tests.
A spokesman for the IWF said: “The integrity of the sport has been seriously damaged on multiple times and levels by the Russians, therefore an appropriate sanction was applied.”
The IWF added that seven samples from Russian athletes at the Beijing Games in 2008 and London 2012 had been found to be positive after re-analysis.
Webster, meanwhile who almost qualified as a teenager for London 2012, can’t wait to compete.
He said: “This is my first Olympics so I want to do the best I can — whether that is a top-ten finish or getting on the podium.”