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Three Russian Olympic champion race walkers disqualified over doping abuse

Athletes’ suspension was based on abnormal irregularities in their biological passports, which were indicators of abusing performance enhancing drugs

Sergey Kirdyapkin ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

Sergey Kirdyapkin

© ITAR-TASS/Stanislav Krasilnikov

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. Russian Olympic champion race walkers Valery Borchin, Sergey Kirdyapkin and Olga Kaniskina, as well as Russia’s 2011 World Champion Sergey Bakulin, were disqualified after they were found guilty of violating anti-doping regulations, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) announced on its website on Tuesday.

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Kaniskina, Kirdyapkin and Bakulin were each handed suspension terms of three years and two months, while Borchin was disqualified for the term of eight years. The suspension terms come into force as of October 15, 2012, meaning that Brochin will be ineligible to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.

Athletes’ suspension was based on abnormal irregularities in their biological passports, which were indicators of abusing performance enhancing drugs.

RUSADA Director General Ramil Khabriyev said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) would be making a decision whether to revoke medals from the disqualified Russian walkers.

Borchin and Kaniskina are 2008 Beijing Olympics champions in 20 km racewalking. Kaniskina is also a silver medalist of the 2012 Olympics in London in women’s 20 km racewalking. Kirdyapkin won the Olympic gold in men’s 50 km racewalking at the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Race walker Bakulin won his world champion’s title in men’s 50 km walk at the 2011 World Championships in South Korea’s Daegu.

This is a second suspension penalty for Borchin, 28, as he was already subjected to a one-year disqualification in 2005 also on doping abuse charges.

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