Hot on the heels of the IAAF’s four year suspension imposed on the M55 Perth high jump gold medallist, Australian citizen Volodymyr Shelever, the latest IAAF list of Doping suspensions include the M50 European Masters Indoor silver medallist Oleg Kramar from the Ukraine who failed an Anti Doping test in Ancona in 2016. NMAC member Steve Linsell now moves up to the bronze medal position and SWVAC member Ian Allen to 7th.
Kramar took the M50 EMA title in Izmir (1.87m) in 2014 and got the silver medal at the World Championships in Lyon in 2015 behind the Italian Marco (1.86m), Kramar (1.83m) and Steve clearing 1.75m for the bronze medal. That was a particularly strong competition with 21 participants.
Steve said he was very surprised and shocked that he had been competing against fellow athletes who have been doping, adding that it’s encouraging to see that the systems in place do work. I wonder if he has known for some months, as he was entered for Aarhus, didn’t show up and would probably have deprived someone of a medal once again.
Bridget Cushen
22/12/2017