Olympic bronze medallist Hripsime Khurshudyan is among a trio of weightlifters to have avoided suspension for using meldonium ©Getty Images

Olympic bronze medallist Hripsime Khurshudyan is among a trio of weightlifters to have avoided suspension for using meldonium, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has confirmed.

The IWF has decided not to ban the Armenian, the bronze medallist in the women’s over 75 kilograms category at London 2012, nor 2013 European junior champion Lyaysan Makhiyanova of Russia or Poland’s Krzysztof Szramiak.

This is despite the world governing body reporting that samples from each of the athletes have returned an adverse analytical finding for meldonium.

"The IWF decided not to suspend the aforementioned Athletes provisionally," the report said adding that "in any case where it is determined that the athletes did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decisions will also be published". 

Earlier this week, Belarus' double world champion Andrei Rybakov was given special dispensation to compete at the ongoing Asian Weightlifting Championships in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent after the lifting of his ban for a failed meldonium drugs test.

Rybakov, the 2006 and 2007 under 85kg world champion and a double Olympic silver medallist, had been suspended by the IWF  earlier this month following a positive test for the recently banned substance.

Poland's Krzysztof Szramiak has also escaped suspension for using meldonium
Poland's Krzysztof Szramiak has also escaped suspension for using meldonium ©Getty Images

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently admitted that limited data exists on how long meldonium remains in the body.

They ruled that if below one microgram of the substance was detected in a test before March 1, a no fault or negligence verdict could be reached.

Rybakov's suspension was lifted by the IWF for this reason, although he had already missed the European Championships in Førde in Norway in the intervening weeks.

Norway's Ruth Kasirye, who carried her country's flag at the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, is another weightlifter known to have failed for meldonium.

Kasirye, the under 58kg silver medallist at the 2007 European Championships in Strasbourg, confirmed last week she had tested positive for the drug after claiming she was taking it for medical purposes.

It is not yet clear whether her ban will also be lifted.

WADA has received huge criticism from International Federations for their handling of the case, particularly because it is bodies, like the IWF, which are now responsible for finding solutions.