Inga Abitova
Inga Abitova | |
|---|---|
| Born | Inga Eduardovna Abitova March 6, 1982 Novokuybyshevsk, Russia |
| Occupation | Long-distance runner |
| Years active | 1999–2012 (competing years before suspension) |
| Known for | European Champion in 10,000 m (2006) |
Inga Eduardovna Abitova (, born on 6 March 1982 in Novokuybyshevsk) is a Russian athlete specializing in long-distance events, particularly the 10,000 metres and marathon. She claimed the title of European Champion in the 10,000 m in 2006 and advanced to the final round at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Doping
Abitova was handed a two-year suspension in 2012 after anti-doping authorities identified irregularities in her haemoglobin levels through her biological passport. Consequently, all her competitive results from 10 October 2009 onward were invalidated, with the ban commencing on 11 October 2012.
In May 2016, she was among fourteen Russian competitors implicated following reanalysis of urine samples from the 2008 Olympic Games. This reexamination, confirmed by the Russian news agency TASS, was part of investigations linked to the 2015-2016 Russian doping scandal. According to IOC and IAAF regulations, she faced disqualification of all results, medals, and records from the date of the initial test through May 2016. Her doping violation was officially validated on 13 September.
Career
During her junior years, Abitova placed eleventh in the 3000 metres at the 1999 World Youth Championships. Transitioning into cross country running, she competed at the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and secured fourth place in the junior category at the 2005 European Cross Country Championships, aiding Russia’s junior team to a gold medal. In 2005, she won the Belgrade Marathon clocking 2:38:20 and finished seventh at that year’s European Cross Country Championships, helping Russia's senior women’s team to gold.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 when she won the European title over 10,000 metres at the 2006 European Championships held in Gothenburg. She recorded a personal best of 30:31.42 minutes, ranking as the seventh-fastest time ever recorded by a European female athlete. The following year, she took first place in the 10,000 m at the Russian Championships and placed twelfth at the 2007 World Championships, followed by a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Olympic Games.
In 2009, Abitova achieved ninth place at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, marking her as the top European finisher. She triumphed at Japan’s inaugural Yokohama Women's Marathon, winning with a time of 2:27:18 after breaking away from competitors at the 30 km mark. The next year, she finished second at the London Marathon, trailing fellow Russian Liliya Shobukhova with a time of 2:22:19. Nevertheless, all her results from the 2009 World Half Marathon Championships onward were later annulled due to doping infractions.
Abitova trains under coach Vladimir Timofeyev and is an alumna of the Samara Institute of Law affiliated with the Federal Penitentiary Service.
Personal life
She is married and has one son.
Competition record
| 1999 | World Youth Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 11th | 3000 m | |
| 2001 | World Cross Country Championships | Ostend, Belgium | 30th | Junior race | |
| European Cross Country Championships | Thun, Switzerland | 4th | Junior race | ||
| 1st | Junior team | ||||
| 2005 | European Cross Country Championships | Tilburg, Netherlands | 7th | Senior race | |
| 1st | Senior team | ||||
| Belgrade Marathon | Belgrade, Yugoslavia | 1st | Marathon | ||
| 2006 | European Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 1st | 10,000 m | |
| European Cross Country Championships | San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy | 31st | Senior race | ||
| Mumbai Marathon | Mumbai, India | 2nd | Marathon | ||
| 2007 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 9th | Marathon | |
| World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 12th | 10,000 m | ||
| 2008 | Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | '\'DSQ\' |
'\'10,000 m\' | |
| 2009 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | 6th | Marathon | |
| World Half Marathon Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | DSQ |
Half marathon | ||
| Yokohama Women's Marathon | Yokohama, Japan | DSQ |
Marathon | ||
| 2010 | London Marathon | London, United Kingdom | DSQ |
Marathon | |
| New York City Marathon | New York, United States | DSQ |
Marathon |
See also
- List of doping incidents in athletics
- List of female medalists at the European Athletics Championships
- Catalogue of revoked European Athletics Championships medals
- Record of London Marathon champions
- Doping controversies at the Olympic Games
External links
- Profile of Inga Abitova at marathoninfo
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1982 births
- Living people
- Athletes from Samara Oblast
- Russian female long-distance runners
- Russian female cross country runners
- Russian female marathon competitors
- Female Olympic long-distance runners
- Olympic competitors representing Russia
- Track and field athletes at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Competitors for Russia at World Athletics Championships
- European Athletics Championships titleholders
- European Athletics Championships medal recipients
- Winners of Russian Athletics Championships
- Doping infractions in athletics
- Russian athletes involved in doping cases
- Russian sportswomen of the 21st century