Natalya Antyukh

Natalya Nikolayevna Antyukh (, born 26 June 1981 ) 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.

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 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.

Career 2004: Double Olympic medalist at 23 years old 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. 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. Four days later, she won the silver medal for the 4 × 400 m relay with a final relay time of 3:20.16. 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.

2012: Olympic champion at 31 years old 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. 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. She received the Russian Order of Honour after the Olympics for her performances.

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

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

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).

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.

Achievements All information from World Athletics profile.

International competitions

Personal bests 200 metres – 22.75 (-0.2 m/s, Tula 2004) 400 metres – 49.85 (Tula 2004) 400 metres indoor – 50.37 (Moscow 2006) 400 m hurdles – 52.92 (Barcelona 2010)