Russian coach admits to breaking doping ban

Vladimir Kazarin, who coached Olympic gold medalist Mariya Savinova and the athlete-turned-whistleblower Yulia Stepanova told a Russian news outlet that the accusations that he continued working after being banned in 2017 are true.

RELATED: 19 Russian track and field athletes busted for doping

Savinova was the 2012 Olympic 800m champion, a medal she was later stripped of.

A report from The Associated Press stated that, “Kazarin said he grew a beard in a failed bid to avoid detection. However, he was found at a training camp in Kyrgyzstan by staff from the Russian anti-doping agency, which says it identified seven athletes including Artyom Denmukhametov, a former world championship competitor. Those runners could now be banned.”

Kazarin was banned in 2017 when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found him guilty of possessing, trafficking and administering illegal substances.

RELATED: Massive doping investigation results in 234 arrests

This news follows one of the largest anti-doping busts in history involving WADA, Europol and local police forces in 10 countries. The organizations uncovered a vast amount of performance-enhancing substances that resulted in 234 arrests on July 8. The raids exposed 17 organized crime groups marketing illegal and counterfeit substances to athletes in Europe, South America and the US, and resulted in the shutting down of nine underground labs in Europe and the seizure of almost 24 tonnes of steroid powder. No athletes were named in the report.