Top Olympic fencing hope Andrea Baldini has tested positive for a banned substance and been thrown off Italy's Olympic team, the Italian fencing federation said Friday.
The federation said Baldini, 23, failed a doping test at the European championships in Kiev last month.
Baldini won silver for the foil at the world championships in 2006 and 2007 and is currently ranked No.1 in the world.
Italian Fencing Federation President Giorgio Scarso said he was ''shocked and disappointed'' by the discovery of a banned diuretic in Baldini's urine sample.
European champion Andrea Cassara' is replacing Baldini in Italy's Olympic team pending the result of a test on Baldini's B sample.
Baldini is the second member of Italy's Olympic team to be barred from competing after failing a dope test this week.
World road race cycling champion Marta Bastianelli, 21, tested positive for a banned substance found in diet products.
