ANTHOLZ /Italy/, February 15. /TASS/. Russian 2010 Olympic biathlon champion Svetlana Sleptsova has been found guilty of violating anti-doping rules and has been banned for two years, her results between March 22, 2013 and the end of 2013/2014 season were annulled, the Russian Biathlon Union told TASS.

The decision to ban Sleptsova was made on February 11. She is found guilty of using a prohibited substance in violation of article 2.2 of the International Biathlon Union’s anti-doping rules. The biathlete retired from professional sports in 2017 but the 2-year ban will officially begin the day when the verdict is returned.

Between March 22, 2013 and the end of 2013/2014 season, Sleptsova has barely competed internationally. She only took part in one World Cup race - she competed in a team relay event in French Annecy, finishing sixth. This result will be discarded.

Sleptsova officially faced anti-doping violation accusations in August 2018, along with Russian two-time Olympic champion Evgeny Ustyugov, Alexander Pechenkin and Alexander Chernyshov. Pechenkin and Chernyshov were banned last June. On Thursday, reports emerged that Ustyugov who retired from biathlon after the Sochi Olympics is again suspected of breaching the anti-doping code based on evidence found in his biological passport from 2010-2014.

Svetlana Sleptsova, 33, is a 2010 Olympic relay biathlon champion, 2009 world relay champion and a bronze medalist of the 2008 mixed relay event at the 2008 World Championships. She retired from biathlon after the 2017 Summer World Biathlon Championships, winning three gold medals. She has earned five individual podiums in World Cup races.