Tsikhan, Dzevyatouski to receive back medals in early Aug

Ivan Tsikhan and Vadzim Dzevyatouski of Belarus who won Olympic medals in hammer-throwing in Beijing will receive their medals back in early August, Euroradio was told by National Olympic Committee spokesman Piotr Rabukhin. The athletes were deprived of the silver and bronze medals alleagedly for having used dope. They were in court battle at the Sport Arbitration Court for two years and won the case in June 2010.

NOC is prepared to return the medals even today, but the ceremony should be solemn. The athletes are in active training sessions. Vadzim Dzevyatouski told Euroradio he plans to come back to international tournaments next year. "I need to restore nerves in the first place. I did not stop training within the past two days that I spent trying to keep my medal. But it would be right not to think about London today but to restore nerves gradually and to think about performing next year", he said.