Olympic weightlifting champion Dmitry Berestov is facing a two-year ban after failing a drugs test, according to the Russian weightlifting federation (RWF).

"The B sample just confirmed the results of the A sample," RWF president Nikolai Parkhomenko was quoted as saying by news agency All Sport.

"Unfortunately, he is facing a two-year ban now."

Parkhomenko said Berestov was tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during a training camp in April and the sample was analyzed by a WADA-accredited laboratory in Germany. He did not mention the drug detected.

Berestov, 26, won the 105 kg class at the 2004 Olympics for Russia's only weightlifting gold medal in Athens.

He has not competed much since his Olympic triumph because of various injuries in the past 18 months.
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(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2006)