Weightlifting-Olympic champion Berestov faces two-year

MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) Olympic weightlifting champion Dmitry Berestov is facing a two-year doping ban after failing a drugs test, the Russian weightlifting federation (RWF) said today.

''The B sample just confirmed the results of the A sample,'' RWF president Nikolai Parkhomenko was quoted as saying by news agency All Sport.

''Unfortunately, he is facing a two-year ban now.'' Parkhomenko said Berestov was tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during a training camp in April and the sample was analysed by a WADA-accredited laboratory in Germany. He did not name the drug involved.

Berestov, 26, won the 105 kg class at the 2004 Olympics for Russia's only weightlifting gold medal in Athens.

He has not competed much since his Olympic triumph because of various injuries in the past 18 months.

Weightlifting has faced serious problems with doping in recent years, with many top lifters failing drugs tests.

REUTERS SHB RAI2351