Two-year doping ban for Russia's Tchepalova

MOSCOW: Triple Olympic cross-country skiing champion Julija Tchepalova has received a two-year ban for doping, the Russian cross-country skiing federation (FLGR) said on Wednesday.

"We just received the news from the International Skiing Federation (FIS), saying Tchepalova had been banned for two years starting from August 2009," FLGR chief Vladimir Loginov said.

Tchepalova, who turned 33 on Wednesday, tested positive for the blood-booster EPO at a World Cup event in Italy in January.