ICF bans four-time Olympic medallist for doping irregularities

Beijing 2008 canoe sprint Olympic gold medallist, Inna Osypenko-Radomska, has been suspended for four years after refusing to undergo an out-of-competition drug test.

36-year-old Osypenko-Radomska, who also won two silver medals in London and a bronze in Rio in 2016, has not competed since refusing the test in May of this year.

Osypenko-Radomska won the K-1 500 in Beijing, then finished second in the same event and in the K-1 200 in London, while competing for Ukraine.

She switched to Azerbaijan in 2014 and was a member of their bronze medal K-4 500 team. She has also won a gold, two silver and three bronze medals at ICF World Championships.

"A four year ban sends a clear message to all our athletes that they are expected to play by the rules," ICF General Secretary, Simon Toulson, said.

"If an athlete believes by refusing or evading a drug test they will escape a ban, they need to think again. We will ensure they face the full force of the law.

"The ICF is determined to wipe out drug cheats from our sport. We owe it to the hundreds of clean athletes, our fans and thousands of volunteers who give up their time to help make canoeing one of the most exciting sports on the planet."

Osypenko-Radomska has 21 days to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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