Kazakh weightlifter Ulanov awarded 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medal
The official ceremony took place November 7 during the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat.
President of the International Weightlifting Federation and member of the International Olympic Committee Tamás Aján handed in the medal to Ulanov.
During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Men's 85kg Denis finished fourth with 390kg lifted in total. Romanian sportsman Gabriel Sîncrăia also earned the same number of points but Denis turned out to be heavier than his opponent.
Later it was announced that Gabriel Sîncrăia had failed doping test and was suspended by the IWF for eight years. Thus, his bronze was automatically awarded to the Kazakh-born athlete.
The National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan sent a letter to the IOC with a request to hold the award ceremony during the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships in Ashgabat.
At the current event, Ulanov competed in up to 89kg weight category. He could lift 352kg in total for an injury and now ranks 14th. Despite this, he is viewed as one of the 2020 Olympic Games favorites.