Ramzi stripped of Olympic 1,500-meter gold

LONDON -- The IOC has stripped Bahraini middle-distance runner Rashid Ramzi of his 1,500-meter Olympic gold medal and disqualified four other athletes because of doping in Beijing.

The International Olympic Committee took action Wednesday against the five athletes who tested positive in April in retroactive tests for CERA, an advanced version of blood-boosting drug EPO.

The Moroccan-born Ramzi was the only gold medalist from Beijing caught for doping. He had given Bahrain its first Olympic track and field gold medal.

The IOC also stripped Italian cyclist Davide Rebellin of his silver medal in the Beijing road race.

Also disqualified were German cyclist Stefan Schumacher, Croatian 800-meter runner Vanja Perisic, and Greek race walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka.