Soboleva shocked at ban

RUSSIAN 1500 metres runner Yelena Soboleva has hit out at the IAAF’s decision to suspend her and six team-mates for doping offences ahead of the Olympic Games.

Soboleva, the world indoor 1500m champion, insists the allegations are “not realistic”. She was due to compete in Beijing but looks set to miss out along with four other Russian Olympic hopes after athletics’ governing body handed down the punishments on Thursday.

Discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova, hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and distance runners Tatyana Tomashova and Yulia Fomenko were all set for Beijing, while Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova were also implicated.

The seven have been 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 a statement from the IAAF.

The 25-year-old Soboleva — the world leader over 800m and 1500m this year — has questioned the ruling, insisting that tampering would be difficult as athletes are under close observation during doping tests.

“I’m fully shocked and full of emotions,” Soboleva said. “I do not understand the whole situation, how we could do something with the sample as we are for the whole procedure keenly observed by an officer. That is not realistic.”

Soboleva vowed to fight the provisional suspension. Athletes have 14 days to request a hearing.