Russian Athletics Rocked By Doping Scandal
The IAAF, athletics’ international governing body, has provisionally suspended seven of Russia’s track and field athletes, five of whom were expected to compete in Beijing this summer, on suspicion of tampering with doping samples. The IAAF today said that the athletes had been charged ‘for a fraudulent substitution of urine which is both a prohibited method and also a form of tampering with the doping control process.’
The seven suspended include some of Russia’s top medal hopes on the track, Tatyana Tomashova, the 2003 and 2005 1,500-metres world champion and Yelena Soboleva, who has set the fastest times in the world in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres this season. Hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova picked to compete in their respective field events have also been suspended.
This is another huge blow for Russian sport and its reputation as they only recently were involved in a rowing doping scandal in 2008.
The All Russia Athletics Federation will now take control of this matter and will adjudicate on the cases. The athletes have up to 14 days to request a hearing with the national member federation and if it is requested then it must be held within a period of two months. But, with only a week until the start of the Beijing Olympics and seven days after that until the first athletics events start it looks very doubtful these athletes have any chance of competing.
