Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova banned , to be stripped of 2012 Olympics gold medal

Russian race walker and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Yelena Lashmanova will be serving a two-year ban following the use of prohibited substances. Not only is she banned from all competitions, Lashmanova will also be stripped of her Olympic gold medal.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) made the announcement on Monday (March 21).

AIU's Twitter handle read:

"Following AIU charges based on LIMS data and the McLaren evidence, Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova has been banned for two years, starting 09 March 2021, for the use of prohibited substances, a violation of world athletics anti-doping rules."

AIU further added:

"Lashmanova has accepted the sanction proposed by the AIU... She is set to lose gold medals from the women's 20-km race walk event at the London 2012 Olympic Games and 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow."

The 29-year-old race walker has another couple of gold medals in her kitty. Lashmanova won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, which, unfortunately, might slip out of her grabs now. She also added another gold medal in the 20km racewalk event at the 2012 World Race Walking Cup.

Lashmanova won gold at the London Olympics, defeating compatriot Olga Kaniskina.

A few years ago, the Court of Arbitration (CAS) for Sport stripped Russian athlete Olga Kaniskina of her 2012 Olympic silver medal as well as the 2010 European Championships gold in connection with doping.

CAS said:

"All competitive results obtained by Ms Olga Kaniskina from 15 August 2009 to 15 October 2012 are disqualified."

IOC must get tougher on Russia, says former committee member Adam Pengilly

Former International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Adam Pengilly insisted that the IOC should take sterner action against Russia. He said the IOC should ban Russia's Olympic Committee instead of simply recommending sanctions.

The former Olympic skeleton racer and IOC member (2010-18) was the only member to vote against an IOC decision on Russia over the country's doping scandals.

Pengilly had called for a blanket ban on Russia during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics over its doping scandal following the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. He voted against the IOC Executive Board's recommendation to leave it up to federations to clear Russian athletes to compete.

Pengilly, also a former board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said that the Olympic ruling body needed to take a tougher stance against Russia.

In an interview, Pengilly said:

"The IOC has recommended that international sport federations take a view of suspending Russian athletes and Russian national federations. Yet, the IOC have not suspended the Russian Olympic Committee. So on one hand, they're telling others to do it. But at the same time, they're not doing it themselves."