Five Russians who will be missed during ban

MOSCOW (AP):

Russia was suspended on Friday by track and field's world governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), four days after a World Anti-Doping Agency report alleged a vast, state-sponsored operation of performance-enhancing drug use.

If that suspension is not lifted or overturned at a full disciplinary hearing, Russian athletes face being unable to compete at the Olympics in August and the World Indoor Championships in Portland in March.

Here is a look at five leading Russian athletes who would be notably absent.

 

YELENA ISINBAYEVA

 

The face of Russian track and field, Isinbayeva is the world record holder in the pole vault.

In full training again after a lengthy break to have her daughter, Eva, Isinbayeva is now in danger of missing what would be her fifth Olympics and a chance at a third gold medal.

Her coach, Evgeny Trofimov, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she is in the form of her life and could break her own world record next year.

Ahead of the IAAF vote to suspend Russia, she issued a plea to be allowed to compete, saying the Russian team was in a "very sad" state, but that it was not fair to punish athletes who had not been individually found guilty of doping.

 

ANNA CHICHEROVA

 

Russia dominates the women's high jump, with their athletes winning gold at the last three World Championships.

Even though she was forced to settle for World Championship bronze in Beijing in August as her teammate, Maria Kuchin, won the title, Chicherova remains Russia's best-known high jumper.

The winner of Olympic gold in 2012 and, the World Championship title the year before, Chicherova's personal-best jump of 2.07 metres places her joint-third on the all-time list.

 

SERGEI SHUBENKOV

 

While Russia traditionally is strongest in the field events and endurance races, Shubenkov bucks the trend with his explosive performances in the 110-metre hurdles.

At the World Championships in Beijing in August, the 25-year-old Shubenkov brought home his country's only gold medal in a men's event.

 

ALEXANDER MENKOV

 

Menkov's finest hour came in front of his home crowd at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, when he blew away the competition in the long jump final with three huge efforts that were each further than any of his rivals could match.

Now 24, Menkov is still chasing a first major championship medal since that day in Moscow. If he can find that form, he is sure to be a medal contender - his winning jump of 8.56 in 2013 would have been enough for gold at the last two Olympics.

 

LYUKMAN ADAMS

 

Of Nigerian and Russian ancestry, Adams was a junior prodigy in the triple jump but took time to blossom in senior athletics before winning World Indoor Championship gold last year at the age of 26.