Russian doctor Portugalov banned for life in doping case

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — A Russian sports doctor accused of supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes has been banned for life.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports said “clear evidence” of multiple offences justified the ban for Sergei Portugalov, who was medical director for the now-suspended Russian track and field federation.

Portugalov was accused by a World Anti-Doping Agency commission in 2015 of prescribing banned substances to athletes, even injecting some competitors himself, in return for a cut of their prize money. The commission said Portugalov showed “a complete disregard for the health and well-being of the athletes.”

CAS said the 66-year-old Portugalov broke rules on possessing, trafficking and administering banned substances.

Besides track, Russian doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova said Portugalov also worked with athletes from sports such as swimming and cross-country skiing.

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As deputy director of a Russian state sports institute, Portugalov ran a special unit overseeing medical services for the Russian track team ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

Portugalov “has worked for many years with the national teams (and) is a consultant for top Russian athletes as they prepare for the very biggest international competitions,” the Russian track federation said in a 2010 birthday message.

Russian athletes have been stripped of nine track and field medals from the 2012 Olympics for a variety of doping offences.

The Associated Press