Moscow - Seven Russian athletes were suspended for two years Monday by the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF) for tampering with doping samples, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The athletes named were Yelena Soboleva, who earlier this year set a world indoor record in the women's 1,500 metres, two-time world 1,500 champion Tatyana Tomashova, middle-distance runners Yulia Fomenko, Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova, hammer thrower Gulfiya Khanafeyeva and discus thrower Darya Pishchalnikova.

The seven were provisionally suspended by the IAAF in July and five of the athletes were immediately removed from Russia's Beijing Olympic squad by the ARAF.

The athletes were charged under IAAF Rules 32.2 (b) and 32.2 (e) for a fraudulent substitution of urine which is both a prohibited method and also considered a form of tampering with the doping control process.

The investigation lasted over 18 months with samples from April and May 2007 used. As a result, the ARAF believes the athletes will be able to compete again August 
2009 at the World Championships in Berlin.

The IAAF, on the other hand, wants the ban to start from the time of the initial suspension in July of this year. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland is expected to make a final ruling on the issue.

Yegorova has had problems with doping tests before. In July 2001, an A-sample taken at a Golden League meeting returned positive for the blood booster Erythropoetin 
(EPO) but she escaped a two-year ban on a technicality.

A month later, she won the gold medal in the 5,000m at the world championships in Edmonton. (dpa)