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Russia’s 2020 Olympic triathlete Polyansky slapped with 3-year ban for doping abuse

A decision to suspend the Russian athlete was made by World Triathlon, which had previously filed a doping-test inquiry

MOSCOW, September 30. /TASS/. Russia’s 2020 Olympic triathlete Igor Polyansky has been slapped with a three-year suspension for violations of anti-doping regulations, the press office of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said in a statement to TASS on Thursday.

According to RUSADA’s press office, a doping sample, which was collected on July 21 during the out-of-competition period at the training camp in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Vladivostok, tested positive for the banned substance of Erythropoietin.

"Igor Polyansky has acknowledged his violation of anti-doping regulations and has been disqualified for the period of three years," the statement from Russia’s governing anti-doping body reads.

A decision to suspend the Russian athlete was made by World Triathlon, which had previously filed a doping-test inquiry. Polyansky’s suspension term is now in force until August 9, 2024.

Russia’s triathlete Polyansky finished 43rd in the personal competitions at the Olympic Games in Japan this summer and was also ranked 14th in the triathlon mixed relay competitions jointly with his older brother Dmitry Polyansky, Alexandra Razarenova and Anastasia Gorbunova.

The 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Japan’s capital of Tokyo were held this year between July 23 and August 8. In March 2020, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to postpone the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan for one year due to the spread of COVID-19.

The team of Russian athletes finished fifth in the overall medal standings, with 71 Olympic medals, including 20 gold, 28 silver, and 23 bronze ones.

Russia at Tokyo-2020

On July 6, the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) published an approved list of 335 athletes, who were selected to represent the country at the Summer Olympic Games. The Olympic delegation of Russian athletes in Tokyo included 185 female and 150 male athletes.

Russian athletes competed in Tokyo under the flag and logo of the Russian National Olympic Committee (ROC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem. Additionally, the national anthem of Russia was under sanctions at the Olympics in Japan and so ROC athletes received their gold medals to the tune of the First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.