Canoeist Serghei Tarnovschi, winner of the bronze medal in the 1000m race in Rio, was suspended after failing the anti-doping test. As such, Moldova was deprived of its only medal just 3 days before the end of the Olympic Games, IPN reports.
The International Canoe Federation announced that Tarnovschi’s medal would pass to Russia’s Ilia Shtokalov, who had finished fourth. Tarnovschi, an Ukranian-born athlete representing Moldova, scored a result of 4 minutes 853ms, beating the Russian by photo finish. The race was won by Germany’s Sebastian Brendel, followed by Brazil’s Isaquias Queiroz.
19-year-old Tarnovschi was supposed to compete yesterday, August 18, in the 1000m canoe double race together with his brother Oleg, but the Lvov-born siblings were ruled out of the contest.
