A Russian weightlifter who stormed off the awards podium as he was about to be handed a bronze medal was expelled from the Olympics Saturday and likely will be banned from the sport for life.
The walkout by Ibragim Samadov, believed to be unprecedented, was branded an insult by Olympics officials."Never in my long career as a sports official have I ever experienced such an awful moment as this," said the International Weightlifting Federation president Gottfried Schoedl.
Exactly why Samadov shunned the medal remains a mystery, although he was clearly distressed by finishing third. He also was riled because Greek fans supporting a rival competitor cheered when Samadov failed on his final lift. Samadov was nowhere to be seen Saturday, the day after his action stunned the Games.
Samadov did send a letter to Schoedl, saying he left the podium because he did not feel well.
"I cannot accept this excuse because I was there at the front and saw it all happen. The IWF will suspend Samadov for life," Schoedl said.
Samadov, who competes in the light heavyweight (181 pounds) division, did not take advantage of an opportunity to explain himself to the IOC Saturday.