foxsports
Russia's lower house of parliament has passed legislation to punish sports coaches and medical staff for doping athletes.
The measure passed Tuesday by the State Duma calls for fines of up to $1,600 and suspensions of up to two years for using or attempting to use prohibited substances on an athlete. The suspension can rise to three years if the athlete in question is a minor.
In recent Russian doping cases, cyclist Alexander Kolobnev was busted at this year's Tour de France when a urine test showed the presence of a banned diuretic, and cross-country skier Nikolai Pankratov was suspended for two years in January after being found with equipment to inject drugs.
Passage of the measure by the upper house is nearly certain.
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