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Two more Russian race walkers banned

The Russian athletics federation says two more of its race walkers have been suspended for doping.

Participants in a 50km race walk
File. Source: AAP

Two more Russian race walkers have been banned for doping.

The Russian athletics federation said on Tuesday that Andrei Ruzavin and Nina Okhotnikova have been sanctioned for abnormalities in their biological passports, which monitor blood profiles over time for signs of doping.

Ruzavin, a member of the Russia team that won a bronze medal at last year's World Cup, was suspended for two and a half years.

Okhotnikova, who was also been a member of the team, received a two-year ban.

Both athletes had results annulled for various periods dating to 2011.

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More than two dozen Russian race walkers have been banned for doping in the past decade. Many, including Ruzavin, had Viktor Chegin as their coach.

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.


1 min read

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Source: AAP


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