Natalya Nikolayevna Antyukh (Russian: Наталья Николаевна Антюх, born 26 June 1981[2]) is a Russian sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles. She won the bronze medal in the 400 metres and a silver for the 4 × 400 m relay at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Natalya Antyukh
Antyukh after winning the 400 m hurdles at the 2010 European Championships
Personal information
NationalityRussian
Born (1981-06-26) 26 June 1981 (age 43)[1]
Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR, (now St. Petersburg, Russia)
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight69 kg (152 lb)
Sport
CountryRussia
SportAthletics
Event(s)400 m hurdles
400 metres
ClubDynamo
Updated on 24 October 2022

She is currently serving a four-year suspension from 2021 to 2025 for anti-doping rule violations. Her results from 15 July 2012 onwards had been disqualified, including her 2012 Olympic gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles.

According to World Athletics, prior to her ban, Antyukh had last competed in 2016, aged 35. She was 40 years old at the outset of the ban, and will be 44 years old when it concludes.

Background

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Her younger brother Kirill Antyukh is a former competitive sprinter, who turned to bobsleigh, and was part of the reserve Russian squad for the 2014 Winter Olympics.[3]

Career

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2004: Double Olympic medalist at 23 years old

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Leading up to the 2004 Summer Olympics, Antyukh achieved a personal best time of 49.85 seconds in the 400 metres at the year's Russian Championships in Tula to place second.[4] At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, she won the bronze medal in the 400 metres with a time of 49.89 seconds, which was 0.48 seconds slower than gold medalist Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas.[5][6] Four days later, she won the silver medal for the 4×400 m relay with a final relay time of 3:20.16.[7] Six years later, at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona, Spain, she won the gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles with a personal best time of 52.92 seconds.[8]

2012: Olympic champion at 31 years old

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On 8 August 2012, Antyukh, then 31 years old, won the gold medal in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, with a personal best time of 52.70 seconds.[9][10][11][12] Three days later, she won the silver medal for the 4×400 m relay, helping finish in a time of 3 minutes, 20.23 seconds.[13] She received the Russian Order of Honour after the Olympics for her performances.[14]

2016: Teammate disqualified, stripped of her 2012 Olympic silver medal

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In 2016, Antyukh's silver medal in the 4×400 m relay from the 2012 Olympic Games was stripped, with medals reallocated to relay teams from Jamaica (silver) and Ukraine (bronze), after teammate Antonina Krivoshapka had her results from the event disqualified.[15] In 2019, all Russians, including Antyukh, were banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency from competing in international track and field events representing Russia for a four year period.[16]

2020–2025: Disqualified, stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold medal

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In 2020, Antyukh was among four Russian track and field athletes charged with doping offences, facing charges of using a prohibited substance or method. The Athletics Integrity Unit said the cases were based on an investigation into Russian doping for the World Anti-Doping Agency presented in 2016 by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren.[17] Her ban was confirmed on 7 April 2021 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport when she was suspended from athletics for four years, to 2025, with all her results from 30 June 2013 onwards disqualified.[18][19] In October 2022, more than 10 years and 2 months after the race, her results from July 2012 to June 2013 were disqualified, stripping her of the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics, with the new recipient being the former silver medalist, American Lashinda Demus.[20][21][22][23]

The stripping of her gold medal marked the attainment of stripping all Russians who won a gold medal in track at the 2012 Summer Olympics of their gold medal(s).[19]

In addition to being banned for anti-doping rule violations, Antyukh, along with all other Russian and Belarusian athletes, was subjected to another ban starting 1 March 2022, which excluded her from all World Athletics competitions with no communicated end date and was implemented in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, part of the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War that began in 2014.[24]

Achievements

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All information from World Athletics profile.[2]

International competitions

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Representing   Russia
Year Competition Venue Position Event Time
1998 World Youth Games Moscow, Russia 1st 400 m hurdles 59.94
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 30th (h) 400 m 52.71
2002 European Indoor Championships Vienna, Austria 1st 400 metres 51.65
European Championships Munich, Germany 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:25.59
2003 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:28.45
2004 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:31.27[n 1]
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 3rd 400 metres 49.89
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.16
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 10th (sf) 400 m 50.99
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.95
2006 World Indoor Championships Moscow, Russia 1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:24.91
2007 European Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:28.16
World Championships Osaka, Japan 6th 400 m 50.33
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.25
2009 European Indoor Championships Turin, Italy 4th 400 m 52.37
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:29.12
World Championships Berlin, Germany 6th 400 m hurdles 54.11
DQ[n 2] 4 × 400 m relay 3:23.80[n 1]
2010 European Championships Barcelona, Spain 1st 400 m hurdles 52.92
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 3rd 400 m hurdles 53.85
DQ[n 2] 4 × 400 m relay 3:19.36
2012 Olympic Games London, United Kingdom DQ 400 m hurdles 52.70
DQ[n 3] 4 × 400 m relay 3:20.23
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia DQ 400 m hurdles 55.55
DQ[n 2] 4 × 400 m relay 3:23.51[n 1]
  1. ^ a b c Time from the heats; Antyukh was replaced in the final.
  2. ^ a b c Finals relay member other than Antyukh later disqualified and all relay results invalidated.
  3. ^ Finals relay member other than Antyukh later disqualified and all relay results invalidated. Antyukh was later disqualified herself after initial disqualification.

Personal bests

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Natalya Antyukh at World Athletics  
  2. ^ a b "Natalya ANTYUKH – Athlete Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  3. ^ Зимние. Бобслеист Кирилл Антюх: Сестру упрашивали все – от главного тренера до Мутко. nevasport.ru. 6 November 2013
  4. ^ "El Guerrouj Warms Up For Olympics With Belgium Win". Arab News. 2 August 2004. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  5. ^ "USC grad wins gold in Olympic women's 400m for Bahamas, Columbia native finishes 4th". WIS. 24 August 2004. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Hayes triumphs as her rivals fall". CNN. 25 August 2004. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  7. ^ "2004 Olympic Games Athens - Womens 4 x 400 m". sport-olympic.gr. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  8. ^ Turnbull, Simon (12 August 2010). "Battler for Bow is clearing all obstacles". The Independent. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  9. ^ Palmer, Justin (8 August 2012). "Athletics: Golden Antyukh mulls world record bid". Reuters. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Olympics 400m hurdles: Russia's Natalya Antyukh wins gold". BBC Sport. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Russia's Natalya Antyukh Takes Gold in Women's 400m Hurdles". KXAS-TV. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Russian Antyukh wins Olympic gold in 400 hurdles". The Seattle Times. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  13. ^ "2012 Summer Olympics - Athletes: Natalya Antyukh". ESPN. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Медаль верните по почте. Легкоатлетку Антюх лишили золота Лондона-2012". 27 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Lashinda Demus in line for 2012 Olympics gold after Russian DQ'd". ESPN. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  16. ^ Chappell, Bill (9 December 2019). "Anti-Doping Agency Bans Russia From International Sports Events For 4 Years". NPR. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  17. ^ Two Olympic champions among four Russians with new doping charges from Associated Press, via Sky Sports.
  18. ^ CAS Media Release (tas-cas.org)
  19. ^ a b Dickinson, Marley (31 August 2014). "Russia to lose final track gold medal from 2012 Olympics". runningmagazine.ca. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  20. ^ Nair, Rohith (24 October 2022). "Russia's Antyukh set to lose Olympic gold after AIU disqualifies her results". Reuters. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Russian runner stripped of 2012 Olympics title for doping". The Associated Press. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Antyukh loses London 2012 Olympics individual medal after AIU ruling". Inside the Games. 24 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Russia's Antyukh stripped of London 2012 gold". BBC Sport. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  24. ^ "World Athletics Council sanctions Russia and Belarus". World Athletics. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
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