World champion walker Ivanov banned in doping case
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian race walker Alexander Ivanov has been stripped of a world championship gold medal after being found guilty of doping.
The Russian Athletics Federation says Ivanov has been handed a three-year ban after blood data in his biological passport showed signs of drug use.
The ban is backdated to start on May 2, 2017, when Ivanov was first suspended pending a full hearing.
Russia dominated race walking at the world championships and Olympics for over a decade before a wave of doping cases brought disqualification for more than 30 athletes and a life ban for head coach Viktor Chegin.
Ivanov was one of the last members of the team without a ban. His 2013 world championship gold passes to China’s Chen Ding, and he also loses a 2014 European Championship silver medal.
