Igor Polyanskiy handed three-year ban

Russian triathlete Igor Polyanskiy has been handed a three-year ban by World Triathlon after testing positive for Erythropoietin (EPO), the organisation has confirmed in a statement.

World Triathlon reported in August that an out-of-competition sample had returned an Adverse Analytic Finding (AAF) for EPO on July 21, 2021. The positive sample was confirmed by a World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) accredited laboratory on August 5, 2021.

Following the confirmation, Polyanskiy signed a waiver of Hearing and Acceptance of Consequence on August 15, waiving his right to test his B sample, thereby agreeing to accept the ban imposed by World Triathlon.

Polyanskiy ban to August 2024

Polyanskiy has admitted to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), with his ban backdated to August 10, 2021. The Russian’s three-year ban will end on August 10, 2024.

Due to his acceptance of the violation of Article 2.1 of the Anti-Doping Rules within 20 days of the charge, Polyanskiy avoids a four-year suspension for the offence.

Polyanskiy had competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held after he provided the positive sample – finishing 43rd in the individual event and 14th as part of the Russian Olympic Committee’s (ROC) mixed relay team. He, and the ROC mixed relay team, have now been disqualified from those events.