YELENA SOBOLEVA, who was banned along with six other Russian athletes just before the Beijing Olympic Games, made a low-key return in a domestic competition last month and the 28-year-old will be competing in the high-profile 1500m at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene on June 4.
While none of the Russian athletes tested positive, the seven were banned for consistent manipulation of urine samples which led to an annulment of all of their results starting from April 2007 and a ban which lasted until April 2011.
Soboleva, who denied any wrong-doing, gave birth to her first child during her stint on the sidelines.
She made her comeback at the Russian Club Championships in Sochi where she finished third in the 800m in 2:03.45 and seventh in the 1500m in 4:10.36.
In Eugene, Soboleva faces two-world champion Maryam Jamal from Bahrain, Olympic champion Nancy Langat from Kenya and Gelete Burka from Ethiopia, who was promoted to the gold medal position at the 2008 World Indoor Championships in Valenca.
Gothenburg European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova has also returned to the fold but unlike Soboleva, the 25-year-old has returned close to her very best form. She's already recorded a season's best of 63.61m, which is less than two metres adrift of her PB of 65.55m.
Former world hammer record-holder Gulfiya Khanafeyeva also made a comeback with an opening competition of 68.02m. Khanafeyeva was also given a three-month suspension in 2002 after testing positive for a stimulant.
The other Russians who were caught up in the pre-Beijing doping scandal were Tatyana Tomashova, Yuliya Fomenko, Svetlana Cherkasova and Olga Yegorova but given their respective ages, it looks unlikely they will return to competition.
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