Dyatchin, a six-time World Championship medallist, who won the showpiece 10 kilometres event in 2003 and 2007, was initially banned from competition pending an investigation last June after testing positive for an unspecified substance.

The 32-year-old, who also competed at both the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, protested his innocence, claiming the substance must have entered his body accidentally.

But in a brief statement, posted on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency website this morning, it was confirmed he would be banned for two years, backdated to July 4, 2014.

Dyatchin has since told R-Sport that he will now retire from the sport, and will concentrate instead on organising events.

Vladimir Dyatchin celebrates after winning the World Championship crown in 2007 ©AFP/Getty Images



The news marks a further blemish on Russia's already appalling recent doping record, which has seen London 2012 3,000 metres steeplechase champion Yulia Zaripova and three Olympic racewalking medal winners handed bans this year alone.

Although athletics has faced the bulk of the cases, with a German TV documentary claiming "systematic doping" across the sport, swimming is among many other disciplines to have suffered multiple positive cases, 

At least 15 Russian swimmers have tested positive in the last five years, including breaststroke world record holder Yulia Efimova, handed a 16-month suspension last year.

This is a major embarrassment ahead of this summer's World Championships in Kazan.

Last month, a new Government post was also introduced under Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko in order to tackle doping problems. 

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