Spanish runner Marta Dominguez banned 3 years by CAS

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) Spanish runner Marta Dominguez was banned for three years Thursday and stripped of her 2009 world steeplechase title for blood doping.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld appeals by the IAAF and World Anti-Doping Agency that challenged the Spanish athletics federation's decision last year to clear Dominguez of irregularities in her biological passport.

The CAS panel annulled all of her competitive results from August 2009 to July 2013. That covers the period when she won the 3,000-meter steeplechase gold at the 2009 world championships in Berlin.

The 2009 race was already tainted by doping, with Russia's Yulia Zaripova taking silver.

Zaripova is unlikely to be upgraded to gold, as she under investigation for blood doping and faces losing her 2012 Olympic gold medal. The selective timing of her ban by the Russian athletics federation meant she kept her 2011 world title.

The IAAF has appealed to CAS for a stricter penalty against Zaripova.

At the 2009 worlds, Milcah Chemos Cheywa of Kenya took bronze and could yet be awarded gold. Fifth-place finisher Jennifer Barringer of the United States could be upgraded to bronze.

Dominguez, who is now 40, also will lose her silver medal in the event at the 2010 European championships.

Dominguez previously specialized in the 5,000 meters, winning two European titles and two world championship silver medals.

The ban imposed Thursday will expire in early 2018 when she is 42.

In 2011, Dominguez won election to a seat in Spain's senate.