Tomashova gets 10-year ban

Russia's Tatyana Tomashova has been given a 10-year ban after she was found to have violated anti-doping regulations at the 2012 Olympics, as the fallout from that Games' shocking women's 1,500m final continues.

Tomashova has also been stripped of her silver medal from that race, a medal she was given after initially finishing fourth after the first two finishers were later banned.

The 49-year-old Tomashova, a world champion in 2003 and 2005, was one of seven Russian female athletes to receive a two-year doping ban for manipulating their drug samples in 2008.

The London 2012 women's 1,500m is often described as the dirtiest race in history, with six of the first nine finishers falling foul of anti-doping regulations either before or after it.

Turkish duo Asli Cakir Alptekin, who had previously served a two-year doping ban, and Gamze Bulut finished first and second, but were disqualified several years later.

Ethiopian-born Bahraini Maryam Yusuf Jamal finished third, but was then promoted to gold, with Tomashova, who finished fourth, getting the silver, despite her previous ban.

Now she has been stripped of that, shifting American Shannon Rowbury, who finished sixth, on to podium 12 years too late.

Two other athletes in the race were subsequently disqualified, while Ethiopian-born Swede Abeba Aregawi also had an anti-doping violation, but escaped a ban, allowing her to hold on to the bronze, now upgraded to silver.

REUTERS