Poland's Adrian Edward Zielinski lifts on the men's 85Kg group A weightlifting competition at the ExCel venue at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Poland’s Adrian Zielinski, an Olympic champion in weightlifting four years ago in London, has been sent home from the Rio Games after testing positive for nandrolone, the Polish anti-doping agency said on Friday.

Zielinski had failed a test in Poland before the Games, Michal Rynkowski, director of Poland’s Commission Against Doping in Sport, told reporters in Warsaw.

“I can clearly confirm that a urine sample taken from Adrian Zielinski gave a positive result for nandrolone. Its concentration was nearly twice the permissible norm,” he said.

“Today we have received confirmation. The athlete faces a four-year suspension,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Polish weightlifting federation said that Zielinski’s brother Tomasz had also been sent home after testing positive for nandrolone.

Adrian Zielinksi won goal in the 85kg category in London and had moved up to the next weight category, 94kg, for Rio.

On Wednesday, he had dismissed suggestions that he had failed a test.

“I deny taking anything. It’s impossible,” he said.

“We would be absolute idiots with my brother to take nandrolone, which remains in the body for 17 months, and go to the Olympics. It’s ridiculous. It’s some kind of manipulation. Something had to be added to our conditioners.”