2012-04-02 17:56

Sports arbitration rejects Lithuanian marathon-runner Živilė Balčiūnaitė's appeal against disqualification

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne has rejected an appeal by Lithuanian marathon-runner Živilė Balčiūnaitė, who won the marathon at the 2010 European Athletics Championship in Barcelona, against her disqualification for the violation of anti-doping rules, the Athletic Federation of Lithuania announced on Monday.
Živilė Balčiūnaitė
Živilė Balčiūnaitė / Juliaus Kalinsko / 15min nuotr.

The decision confirms that Balčiūnaitė will be disqualified until 6 September.

The ban had been imposed by Lithuania’s track and field federation in 2010 after Balčiūnaitė failed a doping test because of excessive levels of testosterone and epitestosterone.

Balčiūnaitė finished first at the 2010 European championships in Barcelona, Spain. Now, second-place Nailya Yulamanova of Russia is set to be upgraded to the gold medal, with Italy’s Anna Incerti getting the silver and Ukraine’s Tatyana Filoniuk the bronze.

“Nobody even told me this. Maybe they were saving the bad news for my birthday,” said Balčiūnaitė, who turns 33 on Tuesday.

Balčiūnaitė has denied the doping charges, contending the test results may have been influenced by a prescription drug from her gynecologist.

She has been training in hopes she could run at this summer’s London Games. The suspension expires on 6 September.

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