MOSCOW (Reuters) - The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has cut Russian forward Danis Zaripov's doping ban to six months from two years after new evidence came to light. In a statement published on Tuesday, the IIHF said it had reached a settlement agreement with 36-year-old Zaripov after he appealed the ban. Given that the suspension dates back to May 23, the IIHF's decision makes Zaripov eligible to play as of Thursday. Zaripov's suspension was a rare case of a doping ban among high-profile Russian national ice hockey players and came as the country said it was taking measures to curb the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport. "The national team coaching staff follows the performances of candidates for the team every day and Zaripov, of course, is one of them," the Russian Hockey Federation said in a statement on Tuesday.

Source: The Star November 22, 2017 07:30 UTC