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Journalism of Courage
SYDNEY, SEPTEMBER 28: Teenage Romanian gymnast Andreea Raducan lost her appeal today against the removal of her Olympic all-round gold medal for failing a drugs test after taking a common cold cure.
A three-person panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport CAS ruled that Olympic anti-doping regulations took precedence over other considerations.
quot;The panel is aware of the impact of its decision on a fine, young athlete,quot; the cas said in a statement. quot;It finds, in balancing the interests of Miss Raducan with the commitment of the Olympic movement to drug-free sport, the anti-doping code must be enforced without compromise.quot;
Raducan, who will be 17 on Saturday, tested positive for the banned stimulant pseudo-ephedrine after winning the women8217;s artistic all-round invidual gold on September 21.
Her disqualification set off a wave of sympathy for the petite athlete after the International Olympic Committee IOC acknowledged that she had innocently ingested the drug in an over-the-counter cold remedy administered by her team doctor.
Romanian team spokesman Alex Epuran said Raducan, one of the stars of the Sydney Games, would be shattered by the news.
quot;I think she will be heartbroken. I am,quot; Epuran told Reuters.IOC director-general Francois Carrard said: quot;It was a very difficult decision to take for the IOC board. This ruling demonstrates that it had no option.quot;
