Russian racewalker banned for doping

The All-Russian Athletics Federation said a former world junior champion racewalker is banned from competing for two years for anti-doping rules violations. The federation said Friday the ban was handed down for Tatiana Mineeva, 22, after her blood tested positive for "abnormal" changes, RIA Novosti reported. "On the basis of abnormal indices in the hematological profile of Tatiana Mineeva's biological passport, a disciplinary sanction has been passed against her in the form of a two-year disqualification," a federation statement said. The statement said the ban began Nov. 17 and Mineeva's competitive results since July 12, 2011, have been annulled. Mineeva's 2008 world junior championships win is not affected by the ban.