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Entire Russian weightlifting team banned from Olympics

Weightlifting

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - APRIL 08: General view of the arena during the men’s 69kg weightlifting competition as a test event for 2016 Rio Olympics at the Olympic Park on April 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

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BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The International Weightlifting Federation has banned the Russian federation and all its weightlifters from the Rio Olympics.

The IWF said Friday the multiple cases of doping by Russian weightlifters have “seriously damaged” the integrity of the sport. The eight Russian Olympic spots have been offered to other countries.

The IWF said the doping results produced by Russian weightlifters are “extremely shocking and disappointing.”

Russia, China, North Korea and Kazakhstan are the world’s top four weightlifting nations.

MORE: U.S. Olympic weightlifting team complete