Dmitry Ilinikh has become the third member of Russia's London 2012 gold medal-winning volleyball squad to be banned for an historic doping offence after evidence provided by Grigory Rodchenkov ©Getty Images

Dmitry Ilinikh has become the third member of Russia's Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball team from London 2012 to be given a doping ban thanks to evidence provided by the former head of Moscow's World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory.

Ilinikh been banned for two years for an anti-doping rule violation, although his playing career ended in 2021.

The case is the latest to be uncovered as a result of evidence obtained by the WADA from the Laboratory Information Management System database at its accredited laboratory in Moscow.

London 2012 team-mates Aleksandr Butko and Dmitry Muserskiy had already been suspended after evidence they had taken banned performance-enhancing drugs was uncovered following evidence provided by Grigory Rodchenkov.

He turned whistleblower in exposing the Government's involvement in a state-sponsored doping programme which has led to the country being banned from international competition for two-years and a full team not having competed under its own flag in the Summer Olympics since London 2012. 

Russia's Olympic volleyball gold medal at London 2012 is now tainted after Dmitry Ilinikh became the third member of the squad to be banned for an historic doping offence ©Getty Images
Russia's Olympic volleyball gold medal at London 2012 is now tainted after Dmitry Ilinikh became the third member of the squad to be banned for an historic doping offence ©Getty Images

Ilinikh's suspension dates from January 13 of this year until January 12 in 2025.

It has led led to him departing his role as sports director of VC Belogorie until the end of his ban.

The historical violation relates to a sample taken at the Russian Championships in 2013, according to All-Russian Volleyball Federation secretary general Alexander Yaremenko.

As well as being part of the medal winning squad at London 2012, Ilinikh also helped Russia to win and the 2013 European Championship in Denmark and Poland.

Yaremenko claimed that the London 2012 gold medal, secured after Russia beat Brazil 3-2 in the final, was not at risk, despite the fact so many of the squad are now tainted by doping.

"He, along with Dmitry Muserskiy, went through the list of [Grigory] Rodchenkov," the VFV secretary general told Russian official state-run news agency TASS.

"But Muserskiy decided in the end to agree to an agreement, unlike [Ilinikh].

"The second was only recently disqualified for 24 months - a year and a half after the start of the hearing.

"Ilinykh will definitely not lose the 2012 Olympic medals, since the sample for which they were punished was taken at the 2013 Russian Championships."

Another Russian Olympic volleyball gold medallist in Dmitriy Muserskiy was banned for nine months until January 2022 for a doping offence in 2013 ©Getty Images
Another Russian Olympic volleyball gold medallist in Dmitriy Muserskiy was banned for nine months until January 2022 for a doping offence in 2013 ©Getty Images

Muserskiy accepted a nine-month ban in October 2021 after accepting he had tested positive for the banned substance methylhexaneamine, a stimulant which can increase blood flow, during in-competition at the same Russian National Championships in 2013 where Ilinikh has been caught.

Butko was last year banned until April 1 this year because of a doping offence in 2014, with his compatriot Pavel Moroz also suspended until the same date.

Ilinikh has told TASS that he has appealed against his suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"It is the FIVB's policy not to comment on any legal or disciplinary proceedings until an official announcement is made," the International Volleyball Federation told insidethegames when asked about Ilinikh's case.