Russian`s London Olympics silver medalist faces 10-yr ban over doping charges

London: Russia`s world discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova will reportedly be facing losing her London 2012 Olympic silver medal and a ban for 10 years from the sport for failing a drug test.

Pishchalnikova has tested positive for banned anabolic steroid Oxandrolone in samples taken in a second test after the test results of an earlier sample showed negative results. Pishchalnikova, who won the 2011 world title in the women`s discus in Daegu and finished second at London 2012, has already served a doping ban of two years and nine months from July 2008 to April 2011. According to the report, the leading female Russian athlete was also found guilty of manipulating drug samples before the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Scotland`s 800m runner Lynsey Sharp said that many athletes are taking to drugs and are not even convicted of the same, insisting that doping is a major issue for athletes. ANI