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Russian Olympic hammer champion suspended for doping

Tatyana Beloborodova has been provisionally suspended by the IAAF on Tuesday

Russia’s Tatyana Lysenko celebrating after winning the women’s hammer throw final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photograph: Getty Images
Russia’s Tatyana Lysenko celebrating after winning the women’s hammer throw final at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photograph: Getty Images
Tue Apr 05 2016 - 19:31

Russia's Olympic and double world hammer throw champion Tatyana Beloborodova has been provisionally suspended for doping, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on Tuesday.

Beloborodova, who previously competed under her maiden name Lysenko, won world titles in 2011 and 2013 and Olympic gold at London 2012.

“The IAAF can confirm that Tatyana Beloborodova (Lysenko) is provisionally suspended. As with all ongoing cases the IAAF will not comment further until its conclusion,” world athletics’ governing body told Reuters.

Russian state media reported on Monday that a sample Beloborodova gave at the 2005 world championships, where she took the silver medal behind Yipsi Moreno of Cuba, was positive after a retest.

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The 32-year-old was suspended from 2007 to 2009 for using steroids and a second positive test could lead to a longer ban.

The former world record holder returned to competition last year after having a baby.

Russian athletics was banned from international competition in November following a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency which exposed systematic state-sponsored doping and related corruption.

The IAAF said last month that Russia still had “significant work” to do for the ban to be lifted ahead of the Rio Olympics in August.