Samoan weightlifter Ele Opeloge is now assured of winning an Olympic medal after one of her competitors failed doping test was confirmed by the International Olympic Committee.
Opeloge initially finished in fourth place in the women's over 75kg division at the 2008 Beijing Games.
But in August, a re-analysis of samples from eight years ago found the silver medallist, Olha Korobka from Ukraine, and bronze medallist, Mariya Grabovetskaya from Kazakhstan, tested positive for banned substances.
Korobka's provisional suspension has now been confirmed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ensuring Ele Opeloge a podium finish.
The IOC announced the decisions in the latest sanctions imposed on athletes whose stored samples came back positive after being retested with improved methods.
Ele Opeloge initially finished in fourth place in the women's over 75kg division at the 2008 Olympic Games. Photo: AFP
Ele Opeloge's coach in Beijing, Jerry Wallwork, said the prolonged wait has been frustrating for all involved.
"It is very disappointing that after a few years we still may wait again another couple more months or a couple more weeks," he said from Penang, where the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships are being held this weekend.
"I'm just really hoping that it will come out anytime soon. Samoa is very anxious and Ele is very anxious. It's history for us - to win a silver medal at the Olympic Games is something great and I just hope that they confirm it too."
Nine athletes in all were disqualified from the 2008 Games, including six medallists.
Olha Korobka and Mariya Grabovetskaya both took their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but Jerry Wallwork said he has been told by officials from the International Weightlifting Federation the lifters failed both their A and B sample tests, with a final announcement on Grabovetskaya expected soon.
Meanwhile Papua New Guinea lifter Dika Toua will be promoted to a seventh-place finish in the women's 53kg division following the disqualification of Belarusian weightlifter Anastasia Novikova.
Papua New Guinea's Dika Toua wins weightlifting gold at the Pacific Games. Photo: Justin Tkatchenko
