russian athletes ekaterina kuznetsova and victoria sudarushkina faced four-year disqualifications after anti-doping rule violations were confirmed. the official updates from the all-russian athletics federation (araf) outline the disciplinary actions and the rationale behind them, reflecting the federation’s commitment to maintaining clean competition across russian athletics.
the shot putter kuznetsova received a four-year ban for using or attempting to use a prohibited substance or method. the period of the suspension runs from the date of the initial infraction, and the overall ban extends through the relevant clean record window, with the end date adjusted to reflect the period from the initial violation. the discipline underscores the seriousness with which anti-doping rules are applied in field events, and it serves as a clear reminder that violations carry consequences that affect an athlete’s competitive career.
sudarushkina, who competes in the javelin, was subject to the same type of penalty for the identical violation. as a result, her suspension extends until early 2028, illustrating the stringent, uniform approach taken by anti-doping authorities when violations are confirmed across different events. these measures demonstrate consistent enforcement designed to protect the integrity of sport and the safety of fellow competitors.
the penalties cited by authorities were based on data from the moscow anti-doping laboratory (lims). the lims database contains testing results covering athletic samples from 2012 to 2015, a critical historical record used in evaluating past violations. a copy of this database was provided to the world anti-doping agency (wada) following disclosure by an interior whistleblower in 2017, which highlighted gaps in data handling and governance within the anti-doping system.
since january 2016, the whistleblower has been residing in the united states and has acted publicly as a source on doping matters for wada. in statements made on february 7, the whistleblower asserted that the international olympic committee should disqualify russian athletes for an extended period, arguing that the duration should reflect ongoing concerns about the integrity of the sport during that era. these comments have contributed to ongoing discussions about how to address historical doping within major competitions and what constitutes appropriate sanctions for different timelines of violations.
within related developments, there were prior reports indicating continued testing plans by responsible bodies for high-profile athletes, including kamila valieva, in relation to doping inquiries following her earlier disqualification. these references underscore the broader, ongoing work to monitor and enforce anti-doping rules across disciplines and levels of competition, and they illustrate the careful balance authorities strive to strike between fairness, athlete rights, and the need to deter cheating across the sport landscape.