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Russian weightlifting team faces ban from Rio Olympics

Russia’s weightlifting team could be facing a ban from the Rio Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation announced on Wednesday.

The IWF’s executive board decided national federations that produce three or more anti-doping rule violations in re-testing of samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics will be suspended for a year.

Currently, that list includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

The IWF previously disclosed 17 positive tests from the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the London Olympics in 2012.

Athletes from Kazakhstan accounted for four of those tests, while Russia and Belarus each had three. The IWF is awaiting final results of those cases from the International Olympic Committee.