Seven Russian athletes face Beijing doping ban

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The International Association of Athletics Federations on Thursday ‘provisionally suspended seven Russian athletes -- including some who were heading to the Beijing Games -- for doping offenses. The IIAF said that the decision ‘has been acknowledged by the All Russia Athletics Federation.’

The athletes were charged with fraudulent substitution of urine, ‘which is both a prohibited method and also a form of tampering with the doping control process,’ according to an IIAF press release.

IAAF declined to make further comment until after final decision is entered by the ARAF. Athletes have 14 days under IAAF rules to request a hearing with their national federation. Once requested, hearings must be held within two months.

The suspended Russian athletes are: runners Svetlana Cherkasova (800 meter), Yulia Fomenko (1,500), Yelena Soboleva (800, 1,500), Tatyana Tomashova (1,500) and Olga Yegorova (1,500 and 5,000), hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova.

Fomenko, Khanafeyeva, Pishchalnikova, Soboleva and Tomashova were named earlier this month to the preliminary Russian team for next month’s Beijing Olympics, according to a statement on ARAF website.

Tomashova is a two-time world champion in the 1,500 and won a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Games. Soboleva is the world indoor record holder in the 1,500 and had run the world’s fastest times this year in the 800 and 1,500.

‘This IAAF decision dashes our athletes’ hopes to perform at Beijing,’ Valentin Balakhnichev, head of the federation, told Agence France-Presse.