Russian race walker Bakulin receives eight-year doping ban

PARIS: Russian race walker Sergey Bakulin, a former world champion, has been banned for eight years for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Wednesday. It was a second doping ban for Bakulin, who is 32, and runs until April 2027. That could mean the end of his career, although he can appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport. The decision is based on anomalies in Bakulin’s biological passport between April and June last year.