Life doping ban for Russian race walker
Russia has banned national race walking champion Sergei Morozov for
life for doping, the All-Russian Athletics Federation said in a
statement Tuesday. “The anti-doping commission of the All-Russian
Athletics Federation has disqualified race walker Sergei Morozov for
life based on irregularities in blood test results in the athlete's
biological passport,” the federation said.
It said that all Morozov's results from 25 February 2011 would be
annulled in line with the rules of the International Association of
Athletics Federations.
Morozov, 24, in June won the Russian race walking championship over a
distance of 20 kilometres. He also won the same event in 2011.
The president of the All-Russia Athletics Federation, Valentin
Balakhnichev, told R-Sport news agency that 11 test samples taken from
Morozov over the course of a year from February 2011 were suspicious.
“Blood samples that they took from Morozov -- and there were 11 taken
between February 25, 2011 and February 10, 2012 -- showed that his blood
was not in a normal state,” Balakhnichev said.
The athlete “can now decide and think whether to appeal, but
unfortunately for Morozov, the chances that he will be vindicated are
small,” he added.
Morozov was previously disqualified for two years on the eve of the
2008 Olympics after he tested positive for the banned drug EPO.
AFP
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