Russian champion swimmer lands six-year doping ban

Moscow - Former European champion swimmer Ksenia Moskvina has been banned for six years for a repeat doping offence, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) said Thursday.

The Russian, 23, is already serving a one-year ban for her first doping offence and the new punishment will start Nov 25, when her first sanction expires.

“Ksenia Moskvina is disqualified for a period of six years, starting from Nov 25, 2013, for a repeat breach of anti-doping rules,” RUSADA said in a website statement. The nature of the offence was not specified.

Moskvina won gold in the 100 metres backstroke at the European short-course championships in Istanbul in 2009, setting the current European record for the event. She also won two bronze medals. All of those achievements still stand.

Also banned is another Russian swimmer, Ekaterina Andreeva, who completed at the London Olympics in the 200m individual medley without winning a medal.

RUSADA said she had been banned for 18 months for an unspecified doping offence and that her punishment was dated from Nov 30 last year.