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The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) suspended former Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) officials Elena Ikonnikova and Elena Orlova for six and eight years, respectively. They are banned due to their participation of obstructing an anti-doping investigation of world champion high jumper Danil Lysenko.
The two worked in administration and were among a total of seven individuals associated with RusAF charged by the AIU last November, which helped the World Anti-Doping Agency and World Athletics to continue Russia’s competition ban.
President Dmitry Shlyakhtin is one of the seven RusAF members to be suspended. He was charged with obstructing the anti-doping investigation. He allegedly forged documents to explain Lysenko’s missed tests.
The Disciplinary Tribunal has upheld the AIU’s charge and banned RusAF staff Elena Ikonikkova & Elena Orlova for 8 yrs & 6 yrs respectively under @worldathletics Rules for failing to comply with AIU’s demands in the Danil Lysenko whereabouts investigation.https://t.co/cBkQOqSHT4 pic.twitter.com/vDG4acfuBN
— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) October 30, 2020
Six terabytes of digital information were collected and analysed. Over 7,000 documents were translated from Russian to English during the investigation. However, it took the investigative team several attempts to get into the Moscow Laboratory, giving the Russian plenty of time to delete data, which they allegedly did.
Lysenko is facing a possible eight-year ban.
The AIU has recommended that RusAF being expelled as a member of World Athletics.
