Cheated Australian walker Jared Tallent could face the Russian drug cheat who cost him gold at Rio Olympics

CHEATED Australian walker Jared Tallent could face the Russian who cost him a London gold medal moment at Rio Olympics.

FILE - In this Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012 file photo, gold-medallist Sergey Kirdyapkin of Russia, right stands with silver-medallist Jared Tallent of Australia, after the men's 50-kilometer race walk competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. A Russian athlete stands to lose his gold medal from the 2012 London Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday, March 24, 2016 rejected the selective doping punishments imposed by Russian authorities in six cases. The court ruled that the Russian anti-doping agency, known as RUSADA, had wrongly imposed bans which were timed in a way that meant the six athletes' results were not annulled and allowed them to keep major titles. The decision means that Sergei Kirdyapkin is set to lose his Olympic gold medal in the 50-kilometer walk. The medal stands to go to Australia's Jared Tallent, subject to ratification by track and field's governing body and the International Olympic Committee. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File)

THE Russian walker who cheated Australia’s Jared Tallent out of his gold medal moment at the London Olympics, has been restored to the national team after serving a drugs ban, meaning the pair could face each other again in Rio.

Sergei Kirdyapkin was one of three banned walkers along with Olga Kaniskina and Elena Lashmanova who were named in an updated team list on the Russian Sports Ministry’s website Monday, meaning they could compete at the Olympics in August if the Russian team’s suspension from track and field is lifted in time.

Russia had previously avoided picking athletes who had served doping bans as it tries to rebuild its reputation following its suspension in November by the IAAF following allegations of systematic doping.

Jared Tallent and Kirdyapkin in London.

Kirdyapkin last month lost his Olympic gold medal in the 50 kilometre walk when the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled his doping sanction was too lenient.

Tallent is expected to receive the gold this year, but has spoken of his despair at being robbed of victory and the ensuing Olympic medal ceremony.

Tallent, who won bronze in the 20km walk and silver in the 50km race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has campaigned for years to be awarded gold in the wake of Kirdyapkin’s doping.

When Kirdyapkin failed a drug test, his results were annulled by the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA) for a period between 2009 and 2012, but it did not include his Olympic win.

“History has been rewritten tonight,” said Tallent when the CAS declared the Russian should lose the gold.

“I am the Olympic champion and justice has been served. I’m very excited to see the result amended and thank all those who have supported me across this journey.

“For me, this outcome allows me to celebrate a moment that every athlete dreams of and I look forward to sharing the experience with my family, including wife Claire, my Mum, Dad and siblings.”

The return of the three to the national team could prompt tension with track’s governing body, which has ordered Russian track officials to “immediately suspend all co-operation” with their government-run training centre in the city of Saransk.

Kirdyapkin, Kaniskina and Lashmanova are also among a group of Russian walkers and officials who remain under investigation by the IAAF over a 2014 incident in which several top Russian walkers were photographed apparently competing in a domestic competition despite serving suspensions and bans at the time.

Originally published as Cheated Australian walker Jared Tallent could face the Russian drug cheat who cost him gold at Rio Olympics