A sample taken from Pishchalnikova in May last year was re-tested and proved positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone, the Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) said on its website.

The 27-year-old Russian had previously served a doping ban of two years nine months from July 2008 to April 2011.

The VFLA annulled all of Pishchalnikova's results from May 20, 2012, meaning she is set to lose her London Olympic medal, which is set to pass to China's Li Yanfeng, who had originally won bronze, with Cuba's Yarelys Barrios, moving from fourth to third. 

Before Beijing 2008, Pishchalnikova was among seven female Russian athletes found guilty of manipulating drug samples and missed the Olympics.

She had won silver at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, but was stripped of the medal after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) annulled all her results from May that year.

In a separate case, European Indoor 800 metres champion Yelena Arzhakova was banned for two years, starting from January 29, 2013, for showing an "abnormal haemoglobin profile in her biological passport", the VFLA said.

Arzhakova, 23, who finished sixth in the 800m at London 2012 won by team mate Mariya Savinova, will have all her results from July 12, 2011 nullified, meaning she will be stripped of her European title in Gothenburg, which is now set to be passed to the silver medallist, Britain's Lynsey Sharp.

Reacting to the news, Sharp tweeted: "It makes me sick that I was denied the opportunity to do a lap of honour and stand on the top of the podium with my national anthem playing", using the hashtags #cleansport and #drugcheatsout in a previous tweet.

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