MOSCOW, March 21 (R-Sport) – Russian long jump champion Svetlana Biryukova, who has the season-leading mark of 6.98 meters, was provisionally suspended on Friday after testing positive for banned substances, officials said.
According to the Russian anti-doping agency Rusada, the positive sample was taken on February 26 at a training camp outside Moscow. The 22-year-old is now provisionally banned from any competitions and training camps before a final decision is made.
Biryukova jumped a world-leading 6.98 twice, at indoor meets in Moscow and Volgograd in January, a 22cm improvement on her previous best. She didn't compete at the world indoor championships in Sopot, Poland, earlier this month.
In February, she beat 2013 European indoor champion Darya Klishina to take her first Russian title.
Biryukova, who earlier competed under her maiden name Denyaeva, finished eighth at the 2012 European championships and was ninth at the last year's event won by Klishina.
