Russian Olympic discus medalist suspended

MOSCOW (AFP) –

Russia’s Darya Pishchalnikova competes In the women’s discus throw at the athletics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4. Olympic women’s discus silver medalist Pishchalnikova was suspended on Saturday for failing a doping test that preceded the Olympic Games in London, Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA reported on its official site.

Russia’s Olympic women’s discus silver medalist Darya Pishchalnikova was suspended on Saturday for failing a doping test that preceded the Olympic Games in London, Russia’s anti-doping agency RUSADA reported on its official site.

The 27-year-old was suspended – backdated to October 31 – by the sport’s ruling body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) after she failed a doping test on May 20 this year where traces of an oral anabolic steroid was discovered.

According to world anti-doping agency WADA, her A sample returned a positive test.

It is her second offence as she received a two year ban for manipulating doping samples along with six other Russian athletes in 2008.

Pishchalnikova took silver behind Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic – who also served a six month ban for doping in 2011 – in London, although with her having failed the test prior to the Games questions will be raised why she was clear to compete and whether she will lose the medal.