Ihor Hlavan of Ukraine, the 2013 World Championships 50km walk bronze medal winner has had his doping ban extended and will therefore miss the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, according to Reuters on Tuesday.
Hlavan was slapped with a two-year suspension in 2017 for the violation of anti-doping rules and was down to represent his country in Tokyo later this summer, but the Ukrainian athletics federation announced on Tuesday that he will not compete at the Olympics.
The 30-year-old, who did not finish the event at the Rio de Janeiro Games five-year-old ago, will be replaced in Ukraine’s Olympic squad by Valery Litanyuk.
Hlavan did 3:58:12 for the 50km walk in his lone competition in the discipline this season.
Litanyuk has a seasonal best of 3:55:45, achieved when finishing ahead of Hlavan at the European Race Walking Team Championships in May.
