Olympics storm as Russians hit back over bans

Following the suspension of seven of Russia's top track and field stars by world athletics' governing body, the IAAF, for allegedly using other people's urine when giving samples to testers, the accused athletes' coach has claimed the bans were politically motivated to help China's medal prospects in Beijing.

And Russia's anti-doping chief questioned why the announcement was made just a fortnight before the track events start.

Five of the suspended seven women, including middle distance star Yelena Soboleva who was favourite for the 800m and 1500m double which Kelly Holmes won in Athens, were genuine medal hopes.

Sergei Vasilyev, coach of the suspended athletes, told the Moscow Times: "This is pure politics. If these athletes, who are the main contenders for gold medals, are forced out of the games, the new favorites will be the Chinese."

He denied the IAAF's contention of "fradulent substitution of urine" following DNA analysis, insisting that it would have been almost impossible for the athletes to replace samples which, he insisted, were taken in the presence of anti-doping officials.

Nikolai Durmanov, director of the anti-doping department of the Russian Olympic Committee, said in a TV interview: "Some very troubling questions still have to be asked.

Most important, why are last year's doping tests suddenly emerging as an issue one week before the start of the games?"

Soboleva is protesting her innocence but appears to accept that she will not be going to Beijing.

The IAAF insist drug tests taken in Moscow last year did not match the profile of samples taken from the same athletes three months later at the world championships in Osaka.