Lithuanian marathoner gets 2-year ban for doping

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — European women's marathon champion Zivile Balciunaite has been banned for two years following a positive doping test.

Balciunaite tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone and epitestosterone in Barcelona in July and was suspended in January, pending the completion of the probe.

The Lithuanian Athletics Federation said Tuesday the 32-year-old athlete will also be stripped of the gold medal she won last year in Barcelona.

The decision means second-place Nailya Yulamanova of Russia will receive the gold. Italy's Anna Incerti will get the silver and Tatyana Filoniuk of Ukraine will receive bronze.

Federation president Eimantas Skrabulis said Balciunaite's coach, Romas Sausaitis, would also receive a "strict warning."

Balciunaite, who had continued training for the 2010 London Olympic during the probe, was not available for a comment Tuesday.

She has previously denied taking any illegal substances and blamed the positive result on a drug prescribed by her gynecologist.