Derval O'Rourke finally to get European Bronze medal...

In the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Gothenburg at the start of March 2013, Nevin Yanit won the Gold in the womens 60m hurdles. Derval O'Rourke finished 4th in that final. Since that time, Yanit failed a drug test and as such, she should be stripped of her Gold medal which would move Derval up into bronze.

After appeals and a long process, Yanit was finally given a 3 year ban today. It is now clears the way for Derval O'Rourke to get her Bronze medal.

The Irish Independent have the story HERE

Derval O’Rourke say drugs cheat Yanit robbed her of European gold

Following on from the news last Wednesday that Turkish athlete Nevin Yanit has been banned for two years for failing a drugs test, Derval O'Rourke gave an interview to the Irish Examiner. In it, she said that she believed that Yanit was most likely to have been using drugs when she won the 100m hurldles final at the European Athletic Championships in Barcelona in 2010. In that competition, Derval finished second and won the silver after setting a new national record of 12.65 seconds.

In the interview, Derval said ......"It’s not as if she was just on drugs this year. In the last two years previous she has been European outdoor [100m hurdles] champion twice [Barcelona in 2010 and Helsinki 2012], fifth in the Olympics [London] and she won indoors [Gothenburg] this year. "

The full interview by Feidhlim Kelly can be seen HERE

Derval O'Rourke to be upgraded to Bronze medal after Turkish athlete fails dope test

This just in!! The Turkish Athletics Federation's (TAF) Disciplinary Board have today banned Nevin Yanit from competitons for two years after she was proved to be positive in use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Issuing a statement on its official website, the Turkish Athletics Federation said the result of the urine sample taken from Nevin Yanit during the P.S.D Bank compettiton in Dusseldorf on February 8, 2013 confirmed usage of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Statement....."The IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations] had informed us that Nevin Yanıt’s sample taken at the PSD Bank event in Dusseldorf on Feb. 8 tested positive for a banned substance,” the federation said today in a written statement. After her B sample also tested positive, the Disciplinary Board asked for Yanıt’s defense and decided to ban the athlete for two years following deliberations."

Back in March of 2013 at the European Indoor Championships, Derval O'Rourke finished in 4th place in the womens 60m hurdles. Nevin Yanit won that race.

If the two year ban starts from when Yanit failed the drugs test in February then Derval O'Rourke will be upgraded to the bronze medal.

Update...From Athletics Ireland @4pm...Athletics Ireland has contacted European Athletics to establish what procedures will be followed in relation to recent championship results attained by Nevin Yanit. European Athletics has not yet received notification of the official sanction from the IAAF and cannot make an official comment until that occurs.

Athletics Ireland will continue to communicate with European Athletics and the IAAF in order to establish the implications of this development for Derval O’Rourke and will urge the international federations to bring clarity to the situation as soon as possible. 

Derval O'Rourke set for European Indoor bronze...???

Back in March, I had a post up about Turkish athlete Nevin Yanit having been suspected of failing a drugs test. Turkish authorities denied that anything was wrong but today, Yanit was officially charged with doping offences.

The IAAF said in a statement........."The IAAF is now in a position to confirm that both Asli Cakir Alptekin and Nevin Yanit have been charged with anti-doping rule violations by the IAAF. Ms Çakır on the basis of abnormal blood values from her biological passport. Ms Yanit on the basis of multiple positive findings following target tests carried out in-competition and out-of-competition by the IAAF. Both case have been referred to the Turkish Athletic Federation for adjudication as is usual under IAAF Rules and we await a decision from them. Until then, I can confirm that both athletes are now provisionally suspended and cannot compete. Again, as is usual under IAAF rules, we will make no further comment until the cases are concluded."

In the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Gothenburg at the start of March, Nevin Yanit won the Gold in the womens 60m hurdles. Derval O'Rourke finished 4th in that final. If Yanit is found guilty then she could be stripped of her Gold medal which would move Derval up into bronze.

Surely if Yanit is on multiple charges then she must be stripped of her title? Guess we'll have to wait for due process to see.

Turkish athletes suspected of failing drugs tests...

Last Friday, the Guardian newspaper had an article about how Turkish female athlete Cakir Alptekin faces a ban from the sport after blood 'abnormalities' were discovered during testing of her biological passport. Alptekin is the current Olympic champion at 1500m.

Nevin Yanit

In the same article, it says......"Also under suspicion by the IAAF is the European 100m hurdles champion, Nevin Yanit, 27, who finished fifth in the final at London 2012. Yanit, also Turkish, won gold in Helsinki last year and also triumphed at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg earlier this month."

Now where this gets interesting is that Derval O'Rourke finished 4th in that final in Gothenburg at the start of March. If Yanit was found to be cheating then she could be stripped of her Gold medal which would move Derval up into bronze. Obviously it's early days yet and there will no doubt be re-tests and appeals but if you read the article in the Guardian then it's obvious that Turkish athletics isn't exactly squeaky clean.