Screenshot of Lu Xiaojun's statement.

  Chinanews.com, December 23. On the 22nd local time, the International Doping Testing Agency (ITA) announced on its official website that Lu Xiaojun, the three-time Olympic weightlifting champion, was temporarily suspended due to a positive out-of-competition doping test in October. banned.

  According to the announcement issued by the ITA, Lu Xiaojun was detected with erythropoietin (EPO) in the samples provided by the out-of-competition test on October 30 this year.

EPO is included in the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which stipulates that athletes must not use this substance in and out of competition.

  However, Lu Xiaojun still has the right to start the re-examination of the B bottle sample.

ITA is an organization commissioned by the International Weightlifting Federation to independently conduct doping testing, and will be fully responsible for the investigation of this matter.

In the men's weightlifting 81kg final at the Tokyo Olympics, 37-year-old Chinese athlete Lu Xiaojun won the championship with a snatch of 170kg, a clean and jerk of 204kg, and a total score of 374kg. Among them, the snatch, clean and jerk, and total scores all broke Olympic records.

  In response to this incident, Chinese weightlifter Lu Xiaojun responded on the 23rd that he had no motive and no reason to use any prohibited substances in the last leg of his beloved weightlifting career.

  "On December 20, 2022, I received an email from the international inspection agency informing me that my sample had tested positive for a non-specific substance. I was shocked. As a veteran athlete, I have always strictly complied with the International Weightlifting Federation, World Anti-Doping anti-doping agency and China Anti-Doping Agency. I believe that the value of sports lies in fair competition. I firmly oppose the use of doping and other cheating behaviors. This is the bottom line I have always set for myself. Doping is completely against my values ​​and against what I was taught to fight doping."

  "In my 24 years of weightlifting career, I have experienced countless major competitions, and I have also accepted hundreds of doping tests without a single violation. Since my comeback in August 2022, in just 4 months, my total Doping tested 8 times. I love weightlifting very much, I have won almost every honor as a weightlifter cleanly, I have no motivation or reason to do the last leg of my beloved weightlifting career Use any prohibited substances. I will cooperate with relevant agencies to conduct investigations to find out the real cause of the problem and clear myself." Lu Xiaojun said.

Statement of the Chinese Weightlifting Association.

  After Lu Xiaojun released his personal statement, the Chinese Weightlifting Association also issued an announcement saying: "The Chinese Weightlifting Association is deeply shocked by the news that Chinese weightlifter Lu Xiaojun's sample was positive for banned substances. "The attitude is to pursue the goal of "zero occurrence". We strictly follow the relevant regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Weightlifting Federation and China's domestic anti-doping laws and regulations to resolutely fight against various doping violations."

  "We have implemented the most stringent anti-doping education and management for Chinese weightlifters, and Chinese weightlifters have received the highest frequency of doping tests in the world. Since 2017 alone, Chinese weightlifters have accepted doping tests inside and outside competitions It has reached more than 5,000 times, and no violation has occurred. We reiterate again: we will, as always, maintain the cleanliness and purity of weightlifting; athletes use doping, which seriously violates sportsmanship and Olympic spirit, and endangers sports and athletes' physical and mental health. Absolutely no appeasement and tolerance."

  At the same time, the Chinese Weightlifting Association also stated: "While cracking down on doping violations, we will also protect the legal rights of clean athletes."

  Lu Xiaojun, born in 1984, is a famous Chinese weightlifter, and even achieved the triple crown in the Olympic Games.

In 2012, he won the men's 77kg competition at the London Olympics.

In the men's 77 kg weightlifting final of the 2016 Rio Olympics, Lu Xiaojun won the championship with a total score of 379 kg.

On July 31, 2021, Lu Xiaojun won the gold medal in the men's 81 kg weightlifting class at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

(use up)