Olympic champ Sadova handed 2-yr ban

Russia's Olympic discus champion Natalia Sadova has been banned for two years after failing a drugs test, IAAF said on Tuesday.

Russia's Olympic discus champion Natalia Sadova has been banned for two years after failing a drugs test, athletics' world governing body IAAF said on Tuesday.

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The 34-year-old tested positive for a banned anabolic substance on May 28 while competing at the Hengelo meeting in the Netherlands.

She was provisionally banned on July 14 but the Russian athletics' federation has now confirmed her suspension and Sadova cannot compete till July 6 2008.

Sadova has already fallen foul of the doping laws in her career having tested for caffeine at the 2001 world championships although this product has now been removed from the banned list by anti-doping agency WADA.