Two-time European champion Oleg Chen of Russia has been provisionally suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation ©Getty Images

Two-time European champion Oleg Chen of Russia has been provisionally suspended by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) following an alleged anti-doping violation.  

Chen, winner of the men’s under 69 kilograms European titles in 2013 and 2014 and is a triple world silver medallist, has been charged with the violation of Article 2.2 of the IWF Anti-Doping Policy.

Article 2.2 relates to use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method.

It is possible he could be among athletes identified by Grigory Rodchenkov, the former director of Russia's national antidoping laboratory, who is now a whistleblower for the World Anti-Doping Agency. 

Russia was one of the nine nations banned for a year by the IWF in September.

This meant they missed the 2017 World Championships in Anaheim.

It has also been announced that Mongolia’s Otgontuya Gongor has tested positive for the anabolic steroid mesterolone.

Like Chen, Gongor  has been provisionally suspended.

The IWF has said it will not make any further comment on the two cases until they are closed.

Mongolia's Otgontuya Gongor has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for mesterolone ©Getty Images
Mongolia's Otgontuya Gongor has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for mesterolone ©Getty Images

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) warned last month that weightlifting is not assured of remaining on the programme for Paris 2024 unless its doping problems continue to be addressed.

The IWF was given a December deadline in June to deliver a "satisfactory" report to the IOC on how they will address the massive doping problem the sport is facing.

A new "hard-line"approach to doping has supposedly been unveiled by the world governing body, including the handing over of the IWF's anti-doping programme to the Independent Testing Authority.

The IOC, however, has now requested a further report to be submitted in June 2018 to show the sport can implement its plans.

Among the things the IOC wants the IWF to do is target countries who are serial offenders by making it more difficult for them to qualify for the Olympic Games.

There were 24 positive tests at the 2015 World Championships and 49 in the re-testing of samples from the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively.

Failures have intensified following the development of new techniques enabling better detection of anabolic steroids, which play a key role in strength orientated sports.

The IOC signalled its discontent in June of last year, shortly after the re-election of Tamás Aján for a fifth term as IWF President, by removing 64 quota places, along with a male bodyweight category.