Ekaterina Poistogova-Guliyev, the former Russian athlete who switched allegiance to Turkey, is poised to lose her silver medal from the 800 meters at the London Olympics following a four-year ban imposed by the Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) for historic doping violations.
Ban and Voided Results
The 33-year-old athlete had all her results from July 2012 to October 2014 annulled after being found guilty of using or attempting to use banned substances, according to a statement by RusAF. The ban is a consequence of infractions committed in 2012 and 2013, based on evidence from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory.
Olympic Medal Implications
Competing under the name Ekaterina Poistogova, she initially finished third in the 2012 Olympic final but was later elevated to second place when the original Russian winner, Mariya Savinova, was disqualified for doping offenses.
WADA’s Recommendation
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had previously recommended a lifetime ban for Poistogova-Guliyev and the stripping of her London Olympics silver medal in 2015, following investigations into systematic doping in Russian athletics.
Previous Sanction
Although Poistogova-Guliyev was banned for two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2017, her results were only voided retrospectively back to October 2015, allowing her to retain her Olympic medal until now.
IOC’s Decision Pending
The final decision regarding the stripping and reallocation of medals lies with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has yet to comment on the matter.
Potential Medal Recipients
If Poistogova-Guliyev loses her medal, Kenyan athlete Pamela Jelimo would move up to the silver position, with American Alysia Montano receiving the bronze.
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Credit : Nick Mulvenney