Russia stripped of 2008 relay title over doping

TIL Desk Sports/ Russia was stripped of its 4x100m women’s sprint relay title from the 2008 Beijing Olympics after team member Yulia Chermoshanskaya failed a doping re-test.

 “The Russian Federation team is disqualified from the women’s 4x100m relay,” the International Olympic Committee said in a statement announcing Chermoshanskaya’s failure yesterday. Chermoshanskaya, now 30, tested positive for two banned substances after samples from 2008 were re-analysed using more advanced detection techiques.

Belgium finished second behind Russia in the 2008 race at Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium, with Nigeria third and Brazil in fourth position. Chermoshanskaya also had her eighth-place finish in the women’s 200m annulled because of her newly revealed doping offence.