Romania's entire weightlifting team was thrown out of the Olympics as a punishment for doping yesterday, but the country agreed to pay a £50,000 fine which ensured they would be able to stay in Sydney. The loophole used by the Romanian National Olympic Committee was an embarrassment to the organisers, who had promised to flush drug cheats from the Games and came on the same day that two more athletes were expelled and another prepared to pack.

Norwegian super heavyweight lifter Stian Grimseth and Iranian light-welterweight boxer Anosheravan Nourian both tested positive for banned substances in out-of-competition tests before the Olympics by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Both were sent home.

Nourian was one of two cases referred to yesterday by IOC director general Francois Carrard, who told a news conference two out of nine problematical cases identified by WDA were in the athletes' village.

"The federation has a rule that if three test positive, the entire team is suspended," said Carrard referring to the weight lifters.

International Weightlifting Federation General-Secretary Tamas Ajan confirmed the existence of a clause which allowed a fine to be paid but added: "We would be very happy if the Romanians did not pay and stayed away."