Turkish 100-metre hurdles champ banned for doping

Sport

Thursday, August 29, 2013

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Former European 100m hurdles champion Nevin Yanit was handed a two-year suspension by the Turkish Athletics Federation (TAF) after testing positive for banned substances, they announced yesterday.The 2010 and 2012 continental champion had already been suspended along with compatriot and 1500m Olympic champion Asli Cakir Alptekin, while 31 other Turkish athletes were suspended on the eve of the recent World Championships in Moscow.Nevin Yanit finished fifth at the 2012 Olympics and won the European 60m indoor title earlier this year at Gothenburg.“The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) had informed us that Nevin Yanit’s sample taken at the event in Dusseldorf on Feb. 8 tested positive for a banned substance,” read a Federation statement.“After her B sample also tested positive, the Disciplinary Board asked for Yanit’s defence and decided to ban the athlete for two years following deliberations,” continued the statement.She had already been banned from the upcoming Mediterranean Games by the TAF over continued suspicions about doping.Alptekin, who caused a huge surprise with her Olympic triumph faces a lifetime ban as she has already served a two-year suspension for doping in 2004 and the IAAF has confirmed she will be stripped of her title if found guilty.Her compatriot Gamze Balut finished second in the Olympic final with Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain coming home third and Russia’s Tatyana Tomashova fourth and now in a potential position to move up to bronze.A decision on Alptekin is pending.The Turkish capital of Istanbul is a candidate for the 2020 Summer Olympics along with Madrid and Tokyo, with the International Olympic Committee set to announce the host city on September 7 in Buenos Aires.

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Turkish 100-metre hurdles champ banned for doping

Olympic champ Ennis-Hill out of Worlds with injury

Sport

Thursday, August 01, 2013

LONDON, England (AP) — Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill yesterday pulled out of the World Athletics Championships in Moscow because of an injury.Ennis-Hill has been struggling with an Achilles injury, but returned to compete in the Anniversary Games at London’s Olympic Stadium over the weekend. However, the British star finished a disappointing fourth in the 100-metre hurdles and eighth in the long jump.“Up until now we have been focusing on managing the pain so I can train and get myself in shape to go out there to win in Moscow — which has meant not focusing on finding a cure for the injury,” Ennis-Hill said in a statement. “The time has now come to stop chasing fitness and look to cure the problem.“I am so glad I got to compete in London last weekend as it gave me a clear picture of where I am — and it is definitely not where I want to be both regarding pain and also form. To say I am gutted is an understatement — no athlete likes to miss the opportunity to compete at a major Championship — they don’t come round that often.”The 27-year-old Ennis-Hill was looking to regain the world title she lost to Tatyana Chernova of Russia in 2011. Chernova has also withdrawn with an injury.“It’s not been the easiest or simplest of decisions,” coach Toni Minichiello said. “The pain management did improve, and Jessica was able to compete in London, but the next few days have not seen enough improvement that would have made completing the two-day, seven events of the heptathlon possible.“I’ve also had to consider if competing at the World Championships would cause further damage, making any rehab more difficult. There are nine global medals up for grabs over the next three years, not including Moscow. So a long-term view has been taken.”It is the latest blow to the World Championships, which are already without Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson, as well as American Tyson Gay, after they all failed doping tests in recent weeks.Defending world 100-metre champion Yohan Blake has also pulled out with injury, as has Olympic 800m champion and world record-holder David Rudisha.

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Olympic champ Ennis-Hill out of Worlds with injury