The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Monday that Russian race walker Elena Lashmanova has been suspended for two years for using prohibited substances. She will be stripped of her 2012 Olympic gold medal in the 20-kilometre race.
In London, Lashmanova won gold by defeating compatriot Olga Kaniskina, who was later stripped of her silver medal for doping. Lashmanova then went on to win gold in the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, a title she will now be stripped of.

A violation of World Athletics anti-doping rules"- The AIU

The allegations, according to the AIU, are based on data from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Also on the evidence that was presented by Richard McLaren, who conducted investigations into state-sponsored doping by Russian athletes.

"Russian race walker Yelena Lashmanova has been banned for two years. Starting 9 March 2021, for the use of prohibited substances, a violation of World Athletics anti-doping rules," the AIU said in a statement.

Read more: Anju Bobby George honoured with World Athletics 'Woman of the Year Award'

"Lashmanova has accepted the sanction proposed by the AIU. She is set to lose gold medals from the women's 20-km race walk event at the London 2012 Olympic Games. And 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow," they added.

Elena Lashmanova previously received a ban as well

In 2014, Elena Lashmanova received a two-year doping suspension. Viktor Chegin, her coach, was banned from athletics for life in 2016 as a result of the Russian doping scandal.

Read more: Milkha Singh: My last wish to see India win gold in athletics at the Olympics

World Athletics suspended Russia's athletics federation in 2015 following a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation alleging state-sponsored doping, which Moscow rejected.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. Tonight, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the matchup between Leicester City and Manchester United at King Power Stadium in Leicester.

Leicester City will be at home, but that will not be enough to keep them confident. They have already fallen prey to Manchester United three times this season across all competitions. The Foxes are in the relegation zone as they have only been able to win four games in 28 league matches this season.

On the other hand, Manchester United will be confident enough as they are coming in after a dominating win in their UEFA Europa League fixture over Real Sociedad. Their first-half performance was not very good, but they came well-prepared in the second half and ran riot over their opponents. The Red Devils are in the 14th spot having won nine games in the same number of matches. The Red Devils will look forward to carrying their momentum going ahead.

So, sit back and relax as Swastik Debnath brings you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the match Leicester City vs Manchester United from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Sportz Point. Tonight we will be bringing you live updates of the Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona LaLiga 2024 - 25 match at Metropolitano.

this match probably holds the most important three points in this season's race for the Spanish League Championship. Barcelona Are just one point ahead of Atletico Madrid and a win for them might fix their position at the top of the La Liga table.

Meantime a win for Atletico Madrid would push them to the title race again and force Barcelona to slip down to number three in the points table with Real Madrid staying at the top after their win against Villarreal CF.

This is Koushik Biswas, with all the updates, stats, news and commentary of one of the most important matches of the season for you. Sit back and relax. Enjoy the coverage.

Carabao Cup, formerly known as the EFL Cup, is a 92-team knock-out tournament organised by the English Football League (EFL). Teams from Premier League, and three divisions of the English Football League compete in this tournament.

Although the prize value of the EFL Cup is not that significant compared to tournaments like FA Cup and other, EFL Cup has had it's reputation among football fans since 1961. Here are all the previous winners of the Carabao Cup since the beginning.

Who were the first-ever winners of the Carabao Cup?

Aston Villa were the first-ever champions of the Carabao Cup or the EFL Cup in 1961. They defeated Rotherham United by a 3-2 aggregate after a two-leged final after being down by 0-2 in the first leg. Alan O'Neill, Harry Burrows and Peter McParland were the scorers for Aston Villa.

For the first six seasons, the EFL Cup finals were played in two legs.

Who are the current winners of the Carabao Cup?

Newcastle United defeated defending champions Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium to win their maiden EFL Cup or Carabao Cup title. They defeated Liverpool by 2-1 to clinch their first-ever domestic title since 1955 FA Cup triumph.

Alexander Isak and Dan Burn scored the goals for them.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Also Read: Most Goals in the Premier League for a single club

Which is the most successful team in Carabao Cup history?

Liverpool with 10 EFL trophies, are the most successful team in Carabao Cup history. They won the trophy in 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1994-95, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2011-12, 2021-22, and 2023-24 seasons.

Most successful teams in Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup history

Most Carabao Cup wins as a player

Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho are the most successful players with three Carabao Cup titles in 2014, 2016, 2018-2021 with Manchester City.

All the past winners of the Carabao Cup/ EFL Cup since 1961

UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are the two pinnacles of European club tournaments, awarding the coveted continental silverware to the top clubs in Europe. 

Borth tournaments are prestigious for clubs competing in these, and hold different merits and various aspects of prizes that come with these silverware. 

However, if you are a fan of a top club that crashed out of the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, you would definitely be disheartened. But, on the other end, if your club clinches the Europa League, would you celebrate it in the same manner when your club reached the UCL semis?

This may be a tough choice for fans who naturally covet the utmost success for their beloved clubs. But this question may always arise in every football fan's mind, which one is better to choose? Crashing out in the UCL semis or winning the Europa League?

Sportz Point delves into this interesting discussion through this article.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarterfinals schedule: Everything you need to know

Crashing out of UEFA Champions League Semis: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

Playing in the UEFA Champions League is already competing at the highest level, and reaching the semifinals is a very significant achievement. 

• If a mid-table club in the top five European leagues manages, or a club that belongs to a league other than the lower coefficients in the UEFA European leagues ranking, reaching this level can also provide valuable experience for the team and contribute to their reputation.
• Reaching the semifinals demonstrates a lot about the team. It means they were able to overcome the best clubs in Europe and reach the knockout stage.
• If looked at from a monetary point of view, the UCL semifinalists receive a prize money of €15 million that helps the teams to look forward to their future. The Champions League also draws more marketing or TV ratings.

UEFA prize money distribution (as of 31 Jan):

7⃣3⃣% to UCL clubs (€2.14 billion)
1⃣8⃣% to UEL clubs (€528 million)
9⃣% to UECL clubs (€265 million) pic.twitter.com/anllbpFPQK

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) January 31, 2025

Disadvantages 

Losing at this stage can be disappointing, especially if the team had induced high hopes of winning the tournament. For example, Ajax in the 2018-19 UCL claimed attention in the best possible way, beating defending champions Real Madrid on the way, but crashed out of the semi-finals.

• If a team loses in the semifinals without winning anything in the domestic league, it will be considered a disastrous trophyless season. Very few people would be impressed by a club simply for reaching the semifinals.
• On the contrary, a semi-final defeat can disrupt a team's momentum, potentially affecting their performance in domestic competitions.
• This also may lead to a massive exodus of players from the club, especially if the club is not an European powerhouse already. The top European players will go after the players who performed well for the team, leading to the dismantling of the core group, making it harder to repeat the feat in the future continental competitions. 

Winning the UEFA Europa League: Pros and Cons

Advantages 

For most of the clubs, winning a silverware is a huge achievement. Winning the Europa League has its own advantages, considering that most of the mid-table or apparently mediocre clubs compete in this tournament.

• Winning the Europa League guarantees a continental silverware, which is always better than a trophy-less season. It also ensures a direct qualification in the next season's Champions League.
• The winners of the Europa League also meet the Champions League winners in a season-end competition, called the UEFA Super Cup, which presents another opportunity to clinch another silverware.
• Winning a major European trophy significantly enhances a club's global status and reputation. This success can attract sponsors, and elite players as well.

Disadvantages 

• The biggest drawback of taking part in the Europa League, particularly of winning it, is the scheduling of midweek games. This may lead to a congested fixture, resulting in fatigue among the players as well as higher injury risks. Consequently, this affects the players' performance within domestic leagues or other tournaments. The Thursday-Sunday format of the Europa League puts more pressure on players than the Tuesday-Wednesday format of the Champions League.
• Although it is a big silverware, the Europa League is usually less prestigious than the Champions League, and therefore makes it less attractive than the clubs competing in the UCL.
• Comparing to the Champions League, the Europa League offers lower prize money. This will be a downer for the clubs that are reliant on their European competition-generated revenue, more so those operating outside the major five European clubs.

The difference in prize money between 108 clubs playing UCL, UEL and UECL visualized. pic.twitter.com/T5IZwmOhsC

— Football Meets Data (@fmeetsdata) December 14, 2024

Conclusion: Which is better?

To be honest, it is subjective and depends on different contexts.

For a world-class team that can contest the Champions League, playing in the Europa League could be a disappointment or a consolation for the team, the management and mostly, for the supporters.

However, if a team has no practical hope of winning the Champions League but can contest the title for the Europa League, it would be preferable to lift the trophy instead of qualifying to the semi-finals.

In conclusion, the Champions League semi-final defeat is an indicator of greater competition and ability, while the Europa League win is a concrete victory. So, we can say that there is no definite 'better' result between these two. 

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of Premier League football. This evening, we will bring you all the live updates, scores, news, and free commentary of the high-intense Arsenal vs Chelsea Premier League 2024-25 fixture set to be played at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal are currently placed second on the table, having earned 55 points in 28 matches. On the other hand, Chelsea are now standing in the fourth position with 49 points in 28 games.

Both teams are having a good season so far, but the result of this match will either benefit or put pressure on other teams competing in the top-four race. So sit back and enjoy the game as we bring you all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary tonight.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scores.