Olympics
3 Local Men Will Row for U.S. Team
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Three area men were among 45 rowers named yesterday to the U.S. Olympic team.
Giuseppe Lanzone of Annandale and David Banks of Potomac were named to the men's four.
Sam Stitt of McLean will row with the men's quadruple sculls.
Thirteen crews will compete for the United States in Beijing. They include 10 veteran Olympians who have combined for six medals.
"Olympic medals are hard to come by and we know that coming in, but we're going to work hard trying to get there," men's coach Mike Teti said.
Returning Olympians include Bryan Volpenhein, Paul Teti, Anna Cummins, Wyatt Allen, Beau Hoopman, Caryn Davies, Michelle Guerette, Jamie Schroeder, Patrick Todd and Mary Whipple.
Cummins is the only rower who will compete in two events, the women's pair and eight.
The United States will have crews competing in the women's single sculls, men's single sculls, women's double sculls, men's double sculls, lightweight women's double sculls, women's quadruple sculls, men's quadruple sculls, women's pair, men's pair, men's four, lightweight men's four, women's eight and men's eight.
Meantime, China's top backstroker, Ouyang Kunpeng, has been barred for life for failing a doping test, a major embarrassment for the host country just six weeks before the Beijing Olympics.
In a statement, the Chinese Swimming Association said Ouyang tested positive for a doping substance on May 1. It gave no details. The CSA said Ouyang's coach, Feng Shangbao, was also given a life ban.
Ouyang was not considered a medal contender at the Olympics.
"The Chinese Swimming Association has made lots of effort on anti-doping, however, this positive test case still happened," the statement said. "It's a big lesson, and we need to stay alert on anti-doping and pay constant attention."
In other Olympic news, Bulgaria's weightlifting federation will withdraw its team from the Beijing Games after 11 lifters tested positive for a steroid, the latest scandal to affect the sport ahead of the Olympics.
Eight members of the men's team and three women tested positive during out-of-competition tests conducted June 8-9, a federation statement said.
The federation identified the banned substance as methandienone.
In neighboring Greece, 11 weightlifters were suspended for two years earlier this month, also after testing positive for a steroid. Greece still plans to send four weightlifters to Beijing.
-- From News Services
