Weightlifter Abeer AbdelRahman is likely to become the first Egyptian female athlete to win an Olympic medal in history after after the top three athletes at the 2012 London Games were provisionally suspended after testing positive for banned substances. AbdelRahman, 24, should benefit from the suspension of gold medalist Svetlana Podobedova of Kazakhstan, Russia's silver medalist Natalya Zabolotnaya and Belarus' bronze medalist Iryna Kulesha. They competed in the 75 kg event at the London Games. Zabolotnaya and Kulesha tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in retests of samples from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Weightlifting Federation said on Wednesday. Podobedova was suspended last month for the same reason. The suspensions mean that Spain's Lidia Valentin, who originally finished fourth, will be given the gold medal while AbdelRahman, who finished fifth, will be handed the silver medal. AbdelRahman's last shot in the 75 kg event ended in pain when she was rushed to hospital after a weight bar of 151kilogram fell on her. She will be the second Egyptian weightlifter to be gifted an Olympic medal at the London Games after Tarek Yehia was automatically promoted to third at the men's 85 kg event following the suspension of Russia's Apti Aukhadov last month. The shocking news provided Egypt with its first weightlifting medals since the 1948 Games, which was also staged in London. AbdelRahman will also be the first Egyptian woman to taste Olympic glory. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
