7 Russians have bans increased

ZURICH: Seven Russian athletes, including former 1,500m world champion Tatyana Tomashova, have been banned for two years and nine months each, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Wednesday.

Middle-distance runners Yelena Soboleva, Olga Yegorova, Yelena Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova and former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva were also banned following an appeal by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF).

CAS said it had amended the starting dates of the original bans and that all would now run from July 31, 2008 to April 30, 2011. It also annulled results obtained by the athletes since April or May 2007.