Ukhov among 5 Russians to appeal doping bans

MOSCOW (AP) — Five Russian track and field athletes, including former Olympic high jump champion Ivan Ukhov, have filed appeals against doping bans which cost them key medals.

Russian track federation spokeswoman Natalia Yukhareva told The Associated Press that Ukhov and world champion high jumper Svetlana Shkolina filed appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, along with Lyukman Adams, Yekaterina Galitskaya and Yulia Kondakova.

The five were among 12 Russians banned in earlier CAS hearings for steroid use in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics and 2013 world championships. Ukhov lost his Olympic gold medal, while Shkholina and hammer thrower Tatyana Lysenko were striped of world titles.

The bans were based on evidence from a World Anti-Doping Agency investigation into systematic doping and cover-ups in Russian sports.