IOC bans another 11 Russian athletes for doping

Lausanne Dec 23 (IANS) The International Olympic Committee on Friday imposed lifetime bans on an additional 11 Russian athletes over doping violations during the 2014 Winter Games.

The banned athletes were "found to have committed anti-doping rule violations ... and are disqualified from the events in which they participated " the IOC disciplinary panel said on Friday reports Efe.

The group includes Albert Demchenko silver medalist in the luge at the 2014 Games in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

Also sanctioned were speed-skaters Ivan Skobrev and Artem Kuznetsov luger Tatyana Ivanova cross-country skiers Nikita Kryukov Alexander Bessmertnykh and Natalia Matveeva bobsledders Liudmila Udobkina and Maxim Belugin and ice hockey players Tatiana Burina and Anna Shchukina.

Friday s IOC decision brings to 43 the number of Russian athletes banned over charges of doping during the Sochi Games.

--IANS
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