Russian race walker Bakulin receives eight-year doping ban

Russian race walker Sergey Bakulin, a former world champion, has been banned for eight years for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Wednesday.

It was a second doping ban for Bakulin, who is 32, and runs until April 2027. That could mean the end of his career, although he can appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport.

The decision is based on anomalies in Bakulin's biological passport between April and June last year.

Bakulin was suspended for three years and two months for a similar offence by the Russian Anti-Doping Association (RUSADA) in January 2015.

That ban was strengthend on appeal by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), resulting in Bakulin being stripped of his 2011 50km world title.

After the suspension of Russia from athletics in November 2015 for state-sponsored doping, Bakulin did not have the neutral athlete status that allowed some of his compatriots to compete in international competitions, such as the Rio Games.