Russian weight-lifter Aleksey Lovchev on Tuesday disclosed his suspension for four years by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) for violating anti-doping rules.
Lovchev is the gold medalist of the 2015 World Championships, reports Tass.
At the end of last December Lovchev, a world champion and record holder, was temporarily barred from competitions on the suspicion he was in breach of anti-doping rules.
His urine A-sample taken at the World Championships in Houston proved to contain traces of Ipamorelin - a substance that stimulates the production of growth hormones. Later, it was announced that his B-sample opened in Montreal, tested positive, too.
"Yesterday evening I received a notification from the IWF of my four-year disqualification," Lovchev said on Tuesday.
Also, he announced his intention to protest against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
"I disagree with the IWF disqualification," Lovchev said. "Together with my lawyer we will appeal the ruling at the CAS. We have all reasons for doing that."
The IWF held hearings on the Lovchev case in Budapest on April 25-26.
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