Olympic champion Silva loses Pan Am Games gold for doping
SAO PAULO (AP) — Olympic judo champion Rafaela Silva of Brazil has been stripped of her Pan American Games gold medal after failing a doping test.
Organizers of the recent Pan American Games in Lima confirmed Silva’s disqualification on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Silva announced last week that she tested positive for fenoterol, a drug used to treat asthma. The judoka blamed her frequent contact with a 7-month-old baby that suffers from asthma for the doping result.
Silva was the first Brazilian to win gold at her home Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She also won the Pan American title in August in the same 57-kilogram category.
The Brazilian is one of the favorites to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Six other athletes also failed the test at the Pan Am Games, organizers said.
