Kelly Sotherton set to be upgraded to third Olympic bronze medal as Russia’s 2008 heptathlete Tatyana Chernova is disqualified for positive steroid test

KELLY SOTHERTON is set to be upgraded to an Olympic bronze medal – for the SECOND time.

Tatyana Chernova’s belated disqualification from the 2008 Beijing Games after testing positive for steroids will give the Brit her third Olympic bronze.

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Sotherton was a surprise third in the 2004 Heptathlon and was upgraded to a 4x400m bronze four years later after the Russian and Belarus teams were disqualified.

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Chernova is the latest Russian to be stripped of a medal as the International Olympic Committee re-examine many anti-doping samples from 2008 and 2012.

Sotherton has in fact jumped two places to get her 2008 bronze because fourth-placed Lyudmila Blonska from Ukraine has already been disqualified.

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PA:Press Association

PA:Press Association

That penalty meant a lifetime ban for Blonska as it was her second doping offence.

Sotherton, 40, now retired, also won heptathlon gold at the 2006 Commonweath Games and bronze in the 2007 world championships.