http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreea_R%C4%83ducanDoping chargeHowever, several days after the competition concluded, the IOC announced that Răducan had tested positive for pseudophedrine, at the time, a banned substance. Amânar had also tested positive for Nurofen, but as she was taller and heavier than Răducan, the substance did not register as being over the allowed amount as it had with her younger teammate. <8>
Răducan and her coaches maintained that she was innocent, and, that as a minor, she had only followed the treatment plan the team physician, Ioachim Oana, had recommended. The night before the competition, she had been given Nurofen, a common over-the-counter medication, to help treat a fever and cough. She also said that the pills had made her feel dizzy instead of helping her in any way.<9><10><8>
In spite of strenuous appeals from Răducan, her coaches, the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and certain members of the gymnastics community, she was stripped of her gold medal. The gold was re-awarded to Amânar, Olaru was promoted to silver, and former fourth-place finisher Liu Xuan from China was given the bronze medal.<8> Răducan's test samples from the team and vault event finals were clean; she was therefore allowed to keep the medals she won in these competitions.<11><9> The Romanian team doctor who gave Răducan the drug in two cold medicine pills was expelled from the Games and suspended through the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.<10>
Both Amânar and Olaru expressed their belief that Răducan was the deserving all-around gold medalist, as did Liu Xuan, who noted, "I think the all-around champ (Răducan) is very good. I feel very sad and sorry for her that this problem occurred. I can't make sense of it. ... In gymnastics we rely on technique to compete our moves. It's not possibly to rely on drugs or strength, you have to rely on skill."<12>
All three declined a formal ceremony when the medals were re-awarded.<13> Following the announcement that Răducan would be stripped of her medal, Olaru and Amânar initially decided to refuse their new medals; however, they changed their minds in order to bring the medals back to Romania.<10> Amânar said of the gold medal, "I didn't win it. It was won by Andreea and belongs to Andreea."<14> She did in fact return the medal to Răducan back in Romania.<15><16>