By Bob Ramsak
(c) 2008 TRACK PROFILE Report, all rights reserved
In a scandal that will likely leave the Russian women's middle distance Olympic team in tatters, middle distance stars Yelena Soboleva and Tatyana Tomashova, along with five others, have been provisionally suspended for "tampering with the doping control process," the IAAF announced today.
According to a statement issued by the IAAF, the athletes have been charged "for a fraudulent substitution of urine which is both a prohibited method and also a form of tampering with the doping control process."
The athletes --middle distance runners Yulia Fomenko, Svetlana Cherkasova, and Olga Yegorova, and throwers Daria Pishchalnikova and Gulfiya Khanafeyeva were also named-- were apparently targeted in a year-long investigation carried out by the global governing body.
"These rule violations were established following the deliberate storage of samples by the IAAF and re-analysis using comparative DNA techniques," the IAAF statement continued, "and were the result of a specific investigation which was instigated and carried out by the IAAF for more than a year."
Soboleva, 25, broke the world indoor record 1500m record twice last winter, first at the Russian indoor championships running 3:58.05 on February 10, and then again a month later at the world indoor championships in Valencia, Spain, where she won gold in 3:57.71. The silver medallist at last year's world championships, Soboleva was this season's world leader at both the 800m and 1500m, running 1:54.85 and 3:56.59, respectively. Her 800m performance was the fastest in the world since 1997, and lifted her to the No. 5 spot all-time.
A regular fixture on the international circuit and among the season's fastest in recent years, Soboleva's only appearance outside of Russia this year was in Valencia.
Tomashova, 33, won back-to-back world titles at 1500m in 2003 and 2005, and is the reigning Olympic silver medallist. Tomashova has run sparingly this year, finishing a distant seventh at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., on June 8 before winning the Russian championships on July 20 clocking 3:59.42.
Fomenko, 28, raced to world indoor silver this year behind Soboleva after winning the title in Moscow in 2006, and was also the silver medallist at the 2006 European Championships. She was second at this year's Russian championships, clocking 4:00.57. Cherkasova, 30, had 1:58.37 and 4:06.58 performances to her credit this season. Also named was Yegorova, the controversial 2001 world champion in the 5000m.
The suspension will leave the Russian women without an entrant in the 1500m in Bejing, unless alternates were also named to the team prior to the IOC deadline. Of the seven athletes named, only Cherkasova and Yegorova were not named to the Russian Olympic team.
Under IAAF rules, athletes have up to 14 days to request a hearing with their national federation. IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said that the global governing body has been informed that the Russian Federation will "speed up the hearing process".
Two others, discus thrower Daria Pishchalnikova and hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva, were also suspended. Pishchalnikova, 23, took the silver medal at last year's world championships and won gold at the 2006 European championships, and was this year's world leader with a 67.28m (220-9) throw. Khanafeyeva, 26, was the European silver medallist two years ago and won this year's Russian title with a 75.07m (246-3) throw, the fifth best in the world this season.
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Switch piss posse
01:27, 31 July 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Suspend all drug users caught for life. this thing must stop. These russians took it to another level. they should be called the "switch piss posse"
Untitled Comment
05:14, 31 July 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
let the Games began.. yeeeeee catch them all!! I saw you at indoor in the 1500meters.. I called some of my guy friends and told them if a women can go 3:something you can to, but i guess it all was fake.. hope it's not ture..
Untitled Comment
12:16, 1 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
Yes, catch them all, this does not promote the sport and it discredits those who dont use drugs. it is so unfair for an athlete who doesnt use drugs to run against the one who uses them.
Its about time
05:03, 2 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
These Russians are something else man...Espically in the throwing events... The Russian throwers be beasting and it jus show us that back in the days technology was not at its best but now it is, so its about time......Its not fair to other athletes who train year round to get beaten by folks who be drugging up
Russian Roulette
12:43, 2 August 2008
.. Posted by hise
For many of the past 8 or so years the Russian Women (what are the men doing...or not doing) have hardly stepped outside Russia to compete and then GONE OFF the charts in their Championships. They go on to World's or Euro's and do very well, but not quite as well as at their Championships. I DO NOT THINK THIS IS A COINCIDENCE and the Russian Federation cannot be that blind as well. The rest of the countries have suspected this for years, why not the Russian Federation.
not shocked
06:14, 2 August 2008
.. Posted by Anonymous
The russians have been cheating for years, why would it stop now. One of my friends told me a year ago to watch out for the russians at the olympics cause the are on roids. Atleast 4 or 5 more of them will be busted. I agree with the first post, ban all cheaters for life. It would also help if these countries stop covering up their cheating athletes. We dont want track to become baseball.
What are we teaching the Younger Athletes?
08:44, 2 August 2008
.. Posted by TrackMom
I think they should be banned for life. I think it is not fair to those who really do it the old fashioned way by working hard and practice, pratice, practice. You are teaching these younger athletes that is ok to put something in your body to help you better your skills and win. I am a mother of a Senior who has done track for 3 years plus one in year in AAU. She just came back from the Jr Olympics in Detroit. And I am on her back bout not missing a practice and working hard. I tell her winning is not everything but doing your best is. To be humble and also exhibt great sportmanship. It's a shame. A real shame.
