AP - The International Olympic Committee will examine Yulia Zaripova's doping case to determine whether the Russian athlete should be stripped of her gold medal in the 3,000-metre steeplechase from the 2012 London Games.
IOC President Thomas Bach says the Olympic body is ready to "take all the necessary steps" after Zaripova was banned for two-and-a-half years by Russia's anti-doping agency last Friday for a biological passport violation.
Of the 22 Russians who originally won track and field medals at the 2012 Olympics, six have since been banned for doping, including Sergey Kirdyapkin - who beat Australia's Jared Tallent to gold in the 50km walk.
Tallent has been angered by the news that Kirdyapkin will retain his medal, despite having most of his results from specific periods between 2009 and 2012 annulled, and with the support of Athletics Australia has pushed for it to be stripped.
Kirdyapkin was amongst a slew of doping bans imposed on five Russian race-walkers.
"On the one hand, it shows that Russia takes this fight against doping seriously," Bach told AP.
"On the other hand, we'll have to wait for the result of the WADA and IAAF inquiry about what may have happened or not in Russian sport."
The Russian agency said Zaripova's results would be annulled for parts of 2011 and 2012, dates which include her Olympic victory.
"The position of the IOC is very clear," Bach said.
"We will look into this case and then the decision will be taken with our zero-tolerance policy."
"If the sanction concerns the period of the Olympic Games or if the sanctions concern the time of the qualification event, the IOC will take all the necessary steps."
Bach said the IOC will study the Russian agency's full judgment and reasons before launching disciplinary procedures in the case.
If Zaripova is stripped of her London victory, Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia would be in line to be upgraded from silver to gold.
