Russian pentathlete named in McLaren report gets doping ban

MOSCOW — A Russian modern pentathlete who was accused of being part of a doping coverup has been banned for four years. Maxim Kustov was previously blocked from taking part in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics after a report by World Anti-Doping Agency investigator Richard McLaren alleged he’d tested positive for three different steroids in 2014 but Russian officials recorded the test as negative. The Russian Anti-Doping Agency says Kustov has been given a four-year ban, backdated to October 2016.

The agency said Kustov broke a rule regarding the use or attempted use of a banned substance, but did clarify which substance was involved, or whether the case was linked to the McLaren report.

The International Modern Pentathlon Union didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.