Russia, embroiled in a long-running dispute with the world's major sporting institutions, has just appointed three former athletes banned for doping, Yelena Lashmanova, Sergei Kirdyapkin and Olga Kanishkina, as coaches of the national team.

An Olympic medal will be officially presented in Ireland for the first time next month when Robert Heffernan belatedly receives a 50 kilometres race walking bronze from London 2012.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president John Coates has launched a scathing attack on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF) after Australian racewalker Jared Tallent was finally presented with his Olympic gold medal from London 2012 at a special ceremony in Melbourne today.

Russian race walkers Sergey Kirdyapkin and Olga Kaniskina have each formally returned their London 2012 medals back to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) after being found guilty of doping, it has been confirmed here today.

Australia’s Jared Tallent will be awarded his London 2012 Olympic Games gold medal from the men’s 50 kilometre race walk on June 17 in Melbourne.

Rome, which has had just four months to prepare for this weekend’s International Association of Athletics Federations’ World Race Walking Team Championships – switched from Cheboksary following the suspension of the All-Russia Athletic Federation pending doping investigations – is dedicating the event to its 1997 world champion Annarita Sidoti, who died of breast cancer last year aged 45.

Russian race walking coach Viktor Chegin has been banned from athletics for life for his involvement in doping.

Russian athlete Sergey Kirdyapkin will be stripped of his Olympic gold medal from London 2012 following a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision today.

A final decision on doping suspensions handed to six top Russian athletes will be made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by March 24.

Double Olympic race walking silver medallist Jared Tallent is targeting “redemption” at Rio 2016 after he was one of five athletes officially selected to represent Australia at the Games by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).