RIO DE JANEIRO — Saudi Arabia's Youssef Masrahi, the Asian 400m record holder, was banned Tuesday for four years, the Saudi anti-doping agency announced.
Masrahi was due to compete at the Rio Olympics but was dropped from the squad after failing a post-training drug control on June 15.
The 28-year-old tested positive for EPO with his second 'B' sample analyzed by the Salt Lake City laboratory in the United States confirming the presence of the banned blood booster.
The athlete has 21 days to appeal the ruling with the ban starting on July 14.
Pole sent home
Tomasz Zielinski, brother of the 2012 Olympic champion Adrian Zielinski, has become the second weightlifter sent home from the Rio Games for doping.
European champion Zielinski, due to compete with his brother in the 94kg, tested positive for nandrolone. On the day of the opening ceremony Cyprus announced that it had sent home Antonis Martasidis, an 85kg lifter, when an out-of-competition test came up positive.
Szymon Koecki, head of the Polish weightlifting federation, said: "I want to sincerely apologize to all Poles that during the Olympic Games they have to feel ashamed as the whole world looks on."
