Olympic athlete stripped of medal and handed 10-year ban after 'dirtiest race in history'

An Olympian has had her medal stripped and been banned from competing for 10 years.

Russian athlete Tatyana Tomashova claimed the silver medal in the women's 1500m event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The two-time world champion originally finished the event in fourth, but was upgraded as athletes ahead of her had their medals taken away due to positive doping samples.

However, over a decade later Tomashova has had her medal stripped and now faces a lengthy ban.

Turkish runners Asli Cakir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut, who finished the 1500m race in first and second, both returned positive doping tests, giving the silver medal to Tomashova.

But now, the Russian has also had her medal stripped as she has been handed a ten year ban after testing positive for anabolic steroids.

The results came in 2021, when the court of arbitration for sport retested her out-of-competition samples from 21 June 2012 and 17 July.

The London 2012 race has since been labelled as the “dirtiest race in history” as, further down the field in seventh and ninth, Russians Ekaterina Kostetskaya and Natallia Kareiva have also been banned for doping.

The revelation regarding Tomashova's doping test now means that six of the top nine in the race have since been banned for doping.

Furthermore, Sweden's Abeba Aregawi, who will now see the reallocated bronze medal awarded to her the at the Paris Games this summer awarded to silver, also had an anti-doping violation in 2016 but was not banned.

The women's 1500m event at the London 2012 Olympic Games has since been labelled the "dirtiest race in history" after six of the top nine athletes returned positive doping tests. (Image: Getty)

Speaking after the race in 2021, Team GB’s Lisa Dobriskey, who finished 10th, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I don’t believe I’m competing on a level playing field.”

The latest ban means that Dobriskyey will now be moved to fifth, while British teammate, Laura Weightman, who finished 11th in the race has risen to sixth.

Reacted to the news of Tomashova's ban on an Instagram story, Weightman said: "11th to 6th in the years since the London 2012 final. Hard to comprehend.

"I'll always be proud of my career and showing what is possible running clean."