FIVE RACE WALKERS LOSE STATUS TO COMPETE INTERNATIONALLY AS NEUTRAL ATHLETES

MONACO – The Russian Athletics Federation has been notified that the IAAF Doping Review Board has decided to revoke the Authorised Neutral Athlete (ANA) status granted to five race walkers: Klavdiya Afanasyeva, Olga Eliseeva, Yuliya Lipanova, Sergey Sharypov and Sergey Shirobokov.

The decision, according to IAAF was taken as a result of serious issues arising from their participation at the training camp in Karakol in the Kyrgyz Republic last month, including the involvement in Karakol of the coach, Viktor Chegin, who has been banned from the sport for life.

“These five athletes are not eligible to compete at the IAAF World Race Walking Team Championships in Taicang, China this weekend (5 / 6 May). The competition organisers have been notified of this decision, so that these five athletes are removed from the start list”, the IAAF said.

It added that the Doping Review Board will review their status for future competitions in 2018, once it has received further information from RUSADA and the outcome of further investigations is known.

The IAAF said the Doping Review Board has been assured that the two remaining ANAs entered for Taicang, Vasiliy Mizinov and Yana Smerdova, were not present at the training camp in Karakol and consequently remain eligible to compete with ANA status including in Taicang.