© Copyright – 2019 – Athletics Illustrated

The shame and humiliation continues for the All Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) and the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA).

The long arm of the law caught up to yet another Russian athlete who had anomalies in his Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that Sergey Bakulin, a 50K racewalker will receive an eight-year ban.

Bakulin won the 2011 IAAF Daegu World Track and Field Championships 50K. That title was taken away four years later when anomalies were found in his ABP.

He was suspended for over three years at the time. Now, at 32-years-of-age, his career will end with the latest suspension, which will run through 2027 when he turns 40.

At the time of his first suspension, there were five other Russian racewalkers who were sanctioned.

All of the athletes trained under the direction of coach Viktor Chegin, who is notorious for participating in apparent Russian systematic doping.

This suspension follows weightlifting coach Samuilov Viktor who was suspended for four years, while weightlifter Samuilova Aleksandra was suspended for eight years five days ago. Two days prior Shooting and Bobsleigh athletes also earned sanctions.

According to Reuters, on Aug. 22nd, the only Russian involved in athletics, who holds a valid world title, high jumper Maria Lasitskene, publicly criticised ARAF for what she says is a lack of progress toward reinstatement four years into a doping scandal. She competes as an independent athlete.

“It is an awful situation, but it is in our power to change it,” Lasitskene told Reuters. “Cleaning up your own house would help, put order in the federation, the national team. That should have been done long ago.”

The latest suspensions and criticism does nothing to enhance Russia’s ability to be reinstated. There is a deep culture of cheating that has permeated the national anti-doping agency, laboratories, coaching network, and their national governing bodies.