Four Russian bobsledders banned for two years for doping
Four Russian bobsledders, Aleksander Zubkov, Aleksander Kasjanov, Ilvir Khuzin and Aleksei Pushkarev were found guilty of committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and have been disqualified from international competition for two years, reported the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation or IBSF.
The restrictions against the bobsledders begin on the day of their provisional suspension, December 19 for Zubkov and December 13 for the other three athletes. During this period, they are not allowed to participate in any competition or activity. The term “activity” includes administrative activities such as serving as an official, director, officer, employee, or volunteer of the national organizations.
Zubkov, who has already completed his career, will have to resign as Head of the Russian bobsleigh Federation. According to the decision of the IBSF, the four bobsledders have forfeited all medals, points and prizes they have earned since 2014. The athletes have the right to appeal this decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The two remaining cases of Maxim Belugin and Alexey Voevoda are still in progress.
At the Sochi Olympics in 2014, Zubkov won two gold medals, but in November 2017, the Commission of the International Olympic Committee or IOC under the leadership of Denis Oswald annulled the results of some Russian athletes at the Sochi Olympics on suspicion of violation of anti-doping rules.
Shortly before the winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the Court of Arbitration for Sport granted the appeals and cleared 28 Russian athletes. The Court reviewed only lifetime bans for participation in the Olympic Games, replacing it with skipping the 2018 Olympics after the complaints of another 11 athletes, including Zubkov, Kasjanov, Khuzin and Pushkarev. The decision to annul achievements in Sochi remained in force.