The news about Chinese weightlifter Zhihui Hou undergoing doping tests is false. This means that she will keep the gold medal in the weightlifting 49kg category, while India’s Mirabai Chanu will remain the silver medallist.
Chanu made India proud by clinching a silver medal at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on July 24. Two days after the event, reports surfaced that Hou will be undergoing tests that will be conducted by the anti-doping authorities.
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Reports also added that if the Chinese lifter fails the test, Chanu will be awarded the gold.
“She has been asked to stay in Tokyo and the test will be done. The test is definitely happening,” a source was quoted as saying by ANI.
On Saturday, ANI reported that Hou was not taken for an anti-doping test.
“Earlier, ANI had reported Zhihui Hou will be tested by anti-doping authorities and if she failed the test, then Chanu stands a chance to be awarded gold. But there has been no testing and it was an inadvertent error while reporting the news,” the news agency reported on Saturday.
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Meanwhile, International Testing Agency (ITA), which is carrying out anti-doping tests at Tokyo Olympics, had no idea about it.
The ITA “do not know where it started but we follow, as always, the strategy to transparently state any developments on our website,” said an ITA official, Inside The Games reported.
Meanwhile, Chanu arrived from Japan on Monday evening and received a warm welcome at the Delhi airport.
In an interview with News18, Chanu opened up about her plans for the 2024 Paris Games. sportspersons.
“Honestly, when I won the silver medal at that time it did look like that I was just dreaming, but now it has sunk in. I am really overwhelmed by the wishes and love shown by my people of India,” she said.