Ukraine heptathlete handed life ban

Disgraced heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska has been banned for life after failing a doping test at the Olympic Games.

The Ukrainian, who won the silver medal at the Beijing Games only to be stripped of the honour after testing positive for an anabolic steroid, was handed the punishment by her national federation.

The Ukrainian federation was able to hand down the maximum punishment as it was the second time the 30-year-old had returned a failed test. Blonska was hit with a two-year ban in 2003 after testing positive for stanozolol.

Serhiy Blonsky, the athlete’s coach and husband, has also been banned for life.

British number one Kelly Sotherton had long criticised Blonska’s return to the sport and subsequent success following her first ban.

Blonska also won the silver medal at last year’s World Championships, edging Briton Jessica Ennis into fourth.