After two times of failing doping test in her career, Ukrainian silver medalist’s heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska was banned by Ukraine National Athletics Federation along with her coach. The 31 years old Blonska had been tested positive for steroids for the second time around claimed by the Sports Daily website last August 20 of this year.

According to the report of AFP, Blonska had previously faced a two year ban when she was found out to be positive for the steroid stanozol in 2003; the same drug that was used by the tainted sprinter Ben Johnson. Again, Blonska was tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs during this time. She was traced positive for anabolic steroid methyl-testosterone after she achieved the silver medal in Beijing Olympics heptathlon competition.

Because of this, Blonska was labeled as heptathlon cheater by the British leading heptathlete Kelly Sortherton when she won the silver medal in the world’s championships last year according to the report of RTE Sport. Also, Sotherton bluntly questioned the legality of Blonska’s world championship medal. Sotherton’s reaction may not really appear too surprising for many because of the cheat Blonska had committed, not just once but twice. “We don’t support cheats!”Sotherton emphasized. She also added her clear doubt to Blonska’s credibility as an athlete by saying: “She cheated once, who says she is not cheating again.”

The AFP report last August 21 of this year displays the disgust of Sotherton to the disgraced Blonska as she tarnished their event. Her disgust can clearly be perceived in one of her lines featured in the said report: “We would rather see (Carolina) Kluft win because we support her; we know that she is clean and we want her to win as we will always support the clean athletes.”

Moreover, according to the report published by the AFP, the International Olympic Committee Commission (IOC) had met right after the test of her sample B and agreed to eliminate her from the list of heptathlon final. One IOC source stated that the disciplinary commission had decided to provisionally suspend Blonska prior to the executive board meeting. However, Blonska was decided to be disqualified by everyone as it appears more proper if logic will be followed.

Blonska has also marked a good name in Olympics by several winnings. However, her then honored name was tarnished with disgrace since she was linked to steroids use. And presently, the glory brought by the silver medal she won from Beijing Olympic was stripped from her. Now, the medal will go into the hands of the American Hyleas Fountain. Meanwhile, the bronze medal will go to Tatiana Chernova of Russia. Her present position in the long jump has been also laid to Nigerian Blessing Okagbare. Okagbare completed 13th in qualifying.

So far, Blonska is the fifth drug case involved in the Beijing Games. Others were Maria Isabel Moreno, the Spanish cyclist who was tested positive for EPO; Kim-Jong-Su, the North Korean shooting medalist; Do Thi Ngan Thuong, a Vietnamese gymnast; and Fani Halkia, Greece’s 2004 Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion who was tested positive for the prohibited drugs at a training camp.

But before Blonska finally leave her sports field, she confessed in the report published by the AFP that she was only compelled by her husband and her coach Sergui Blonsky to take the prohibited drug. She also added that her coach Blonsky had beaten her just to make her comply. Whether Blonska is a guilty for cheating or a victim of greedy people surrounding her, the offense was already done—her name was already tarnished.

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