MOSCOW, Aug 1: Yelena Soboleva denied on Friday she had manipulated her doping samples after the world indoor 1,500 metres champion and six other leading Russian women athletes were banned ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

“I call what is happening now a provocation staged deliberately to knock out the potential medallists right before the Olympics,” Kommersant business daily quoted Soboleva as saying.

“All of us had the best chances to win medals in Beijing. I stress once again that I reject the accusations brought against me by the IAAF (athletics’ world governing body).

“I also ask my fans to forgive me for being charged with what I am actually not guilty of.”

Russian newspapers said the bans appeared to be a foreign plot to deprive the national team of at least five golds in Beijing. The Games start on Aug 8.

“Five of our golds have already been flushed down the drain,” daily Izvestia said.

The seven banned are: twice world 1,500 metres champion Tatyana Tomashova, Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova, former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva and former world 5,000 metres champion Olga Yegorova. All except Cherkasova had qualified for the Olympics.

The athletes were charged with fraudulently substituting urine during the doping control process, and suspended by the IAAF. The Russian media alleged the athletes’ samples had been manipulated by a western company.—Reuters