Athlete banned

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RUSSIA'S Olympic women's discus silver medalist Darya Pishchalnikova was suspended yesterday for failing a doping test that preceded the Olympic Games in London, Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA reported on its official site. The 27-year-old was suspended -- backdated to October 31 - by the sport's ruling body the International Association of Athletics Federations after she failed a doping test on May 20 this year where traces of an oral anabolic steroid was discovered. Pishchalnikova took silver behind Croatia's Sandra Perkovic -- who also served a six-month ban for doping in 2011 - in London, although with her having failed the test prior to the Games questions will be raised on why she was cleared to compete and whether she will lose the medal.

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