Tatyana Chernova, one of Russia’s top heptathletes has tested positive for a banned steroid used in 2009 World Championships.
The Russian anti-doping agency has banned her for two years and annulled her results from 15th August 2009 to 14 August 2011.
With only 16 days in it, Chernova has managed to hold onto her World Gold in Dagu, South Korea where Ennis had to settle for silver.
However the following year Ennis – now Ennis-Hill – took Olympic gold in London, where Chernova finished third.
But with Chernova’s two-year ban due to expire on 21 June it enables her to enter for the 2015 World Championships qualification round in Beijing and 2016 Rio Olympics subject to her performance.
Established research from the University of Oslo in October 2013 determined that impacts of doping are also long term as the muscles are able to retain the advantages given by anabolic steroids for decades.
So despite the ban having terminated, the advantages of drugs are still active whilst Chernova competes.
Ennis-Hill’s coach, Antonio Minichiello, believes that Chernova ‘set a personal best with the benefit of drug use’ in 2009 and her ban ‘needs a long, hard look’.
The IAAF is awaiting a full explanation from the Russian authorities before taking the investigation any further.
However, last week Russia’s athletics head coach Valentin Maslakov resigned after numerous athletes were being found guilty of doping offences.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) are now investigating the widespread doping in Russian athletes with potentially more drug offences being found.
