India's London Olympics bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt returned home from Rio Olympics without making much of an impact, bowing out at the first hurdle. However, even as he tried to shake off the disappointment, came the news that his London Games bronze medal, won in the 60kg freestyle category, could be upgraded to silver. The urine sample of the silver medallist, Russia's Besik Kudokhov, had returned positive for a banned substance.
Then came another media report - his silver could be upgraded to a gold medal because now the sample of Azerbaijan's Toghrul Asgarov, who won the gold in London, had tested positive. As Agarov also won the silver medal in Rio in the 65kg category. Dutt was taken aback by the latest report. “Even I have heard through reports in the media and have been receiving constant messages. I had lost to the Russian so my bronze should be upgraded to silver. But there is another bronze medallist - USA's Coleman Scott - who lost to Asgarov. I am not exactly aware of the rules. I am yet to receive any official communication (on medal being upgraded),” Yogeshwar said.
On news of his London sample being tested, he said, “It may have been tested or will get tested soon. Any confirmation will come only after that.” It could not be independently confirmed if Asgaro has indeed tested positive.
The Wrestling Federation of India and the world body United World Wrestling (UWW) officials were not available for comments. However, according to the UWW rules, Dutt may get the silver and Scott the gold.
National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) director Navin Agarwal said it was for the world wrestling body and WADA to decide who deserves to be upgraded. “If the gold or silver medallist is disqualified for dope violation then they (WADAUWW) will have to see who deserves to be upgraded. In Yogeshwar's case, I am not aware who deserves but generally when a person dies then all cases, including criminal ones, are dropped,” Agarwal said.
Kudokhov had died in a car crash in 2013 but his samples - like others' - were kept frozen according to World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) rules. According to new rules the samples are preserved for 10 years and retested regularly to catch dope cheats who had escaped the net at the time of the competition.
“If a sample tests positive it doesn't mean the athlete is guilty, it needs to be established after a hearing and depends on what view the world body takes. Meanwhile, it is good for our athletes that samples are being tested again. Clean athletes are being encouraged by dope retests. A number of events in the past have demonstrated that it can sometimes take a long time before sophisticated doping schemes are uncovered,” WADA maintained.
