Raducan appeal verdict on Thursday

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Sydney: Romanian gymnast Andreea Raducan will learn on Thursday whether she will get back the Olympic gold medal taken away for a positive drug test, the IOC said on Wednesday.

International Olympic Committee director general Francois Carrard told reporters the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which heard Raducan's appeal against the loss of her gold medal would announce its verdict by 0930 hrs (IST) on Thursday.

The petite Raducan, who will be 17 on Saturday, attended the CAS hearing in central Sydney on Wednesday with Romanian team officials.

Afterwards, she dodged through a phalanx of television crews, reporters and photographers held back by police before speeding away in a waiting car without speaking.

After the four-and-a-half our hearing, Carrard, who represented the IOC, said, ''It was a very long hearing and I shall not make any comment.

''We are expecting the decision by 0930 Hrs (IST) on Thursday fromcourt. They have not made the decision yet. They are now going to deliberate.''

Romanian Olympic Committee president Ion Tiriac said, ''It is a very interesting and serious matter...we are not going to make any other comment. I don't think it would be fair and the panel has to work.''

The two other Romanian gymnasts in the all-round final, Simona Amanar, who won silver and Maria Oolaru, who won bronze also attended the hearing.

Amanar was promoted to gold medal place by the IOC when Raducan was stripped of her all-round title for taking the stimulant pseudo-ephedrine.

Olaru was moved up to silver medal position. The Romanian delegation denied reports that Amanar and Olaru had handed back their medals in sympathy with Raducan.

The sanction on Raducan unleashed a wave of sympathy for the young gymnast after the IOC acknowledged she innocently took an over-the-counter cold remedy containing the drug which was prescribed by her team doctor.

The doctor, Oana Ioachim, was expelled from the Games and banned from the 2002 Winter and 2004 Summer Olympics.



(c) Reuters Limited.