Russian Tatyana Firova claims that athletes should be able to take banned substances
400m runner failed a retrospective drugs test from Beijing 2008 Olympics where she won silver medal for the 4x400m relay
TATYANA FIROVA has claimed that athletes should be able to take banned substances - because 'normal people' do.
The Russian three-time Olympic silver medallist, 33, failed a drugs test after samples she gave at the 2008 Beijing Games were recently re-tested and came up positive.
Russian officials gave the media unprecedented access to their training camp in an effort to silence the doping allegations engulfing athletics.
They will find out on June 17 if Russian track and field athletes can compete at this year's Olympics in Rio.
But Firova believes 'bureaucrats' must share responsibility over doping along with athletes.
She told Sky News: "Of course the system is also responsible for (doping).
"We sportsmen are performers, we follow the rules that are given to us by the system."
And the 400m relay star went even further - revealing that she was baffled as to why athletes weren't allowed to 'achieve high results' through the use of banned substances.
She continued: "A normal person can take banned substances if they want to.
"So why can't athletes take them as well. How else can we achieve high results?"
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When quizzed on whether she has taken performance enhancing drugs during her career, Firova refused to comment.
The World Anti-Doping Agency claims that that doctors and coaches provided banned substances to athletes before laboratory personnel destroyed samples.
As a result of the claims, Russia athletes are currently suspended from competing in Rio this summer.