The International Association of Athletics Associations (IAAF) appears to have withdrawn its request for an extension of the two-year ban given to Russian long-distance runner Liliya Shobukhova (pictured). The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was due to hear an appeal by the IAAF asking for an extension of the ban on 29 April, however a CAS spokesperson told the Sports Integrity Initiative that “the appeal was withdrawn and, as a consequence, we cancelled the hearing as it was no longer needed”.

Shobukhova, who won the 2010 London Marathon, was banned in April 2014 by the Russian Athletics Federation (VFLA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), due to irregularities in her biological passport. It is understood that local reports suggest a settlement has been agreed between the IAAF and the VFLA. The Sports Integrity Initiative has asked the IAAF if it cancelled its appeal to the CAS and if so, why.

In the December 2014 documentary, ‘Geheimsache Doping – Wie Russland seine Sieger machete’, it was alleged that Shobukhova paid €450,000 to her coach to buy a place on the Russian team for the London 2012 Olympics, and to turn a blind eye to a 2011 positive test. The documentary reported that when Shobukhova was banned in April 2014, her coach received a €300,000 refund from this. The documentary linked this refund to Valentin Balakhnichev, who resigned as VFLA President in February this year. Balakhnichev has also stepped down as IAAF Treasurer while the allegations made in the documentary are investigated.