North Korean shooting double medalist Kim Jong-su has tested positive for a banned substance, been excluded from the Beijing Olympic Games and stripped of his medals, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday. A female Vietnamese artistic gymnast, who finished out of the medals, has also tested positive for a banned substance, an IOC spokeswoman told reporters. Giselle Davies both athletes would now be referred to their federations for any possible further sanctions. Kim won silver in the men's 50-meter pistol and a bronze in the men's 10m air pistol shooting. Tan Zongliang of China now takes silver in the 50m, with Vladimir Isakov of Russia taking the bronze. In the 10m, Jason Turner of the United States inherits Kim's bronze. Kim tested positive for beta-blocker propranolol, the IOC spokeswoman said. Beta-blockers are misused to decrease the heart rate and stop possible trembling. The Vietnamese is Thi Ngan Thuong Do, who has also been excluded from the Games. She tested positive for furosemide, a diuretic which can be used as a masking agent for other drugs. IOC Medical Commission chairman Arne Ljungqvist said Kim's positive test showed it was an intentional act due to the substance's ability to provide to the user precision characteristics necessary for sports like archery and shooting. “I could not interpret that other than a deliberate intake,” Ljungqvist told reporters. He said the gymnast could be a victim of bad information as the drug was also used by women for pre-menstrual tension. “My interpretation is that it is a problem resulting from poor information of the athlete, not enough knowledge what to take,” Ljungqvist said. – Reuters __
