Russia's Chicherova records clean London 2012 B-sample: TASS

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian high jump champion Anna Chicherova tested negative for doping after an reexamination of her B-sample taken at the London Olympics, a potential boost to Russia's efforts to have its athletics federation reinstated in time for the Olympics in Brazil in August. Chicherova, who won a bronze medal in Beijing in 2008 and went on to claim gold in London, one of the eight Russian athletes whose 2012 A-samples tested positive for doping. The Russian Olympic Committee said 14 of its athletes from Beijing also tested positive for banned substances but they would not be named until the results of their B-sample tests and the start of official disciplinary proceedings expected in June. "At my lawyer's request, I was informed that the samples [taken during the 2012 Games] had been rechecked and tested negative," TASS news agency quoted Chicherova as saying. "As for the Beijing Olympics, the situation has not changed - we are waiting for June 8." Russia's track-and-field athletes have been suspended from international competition since November last year following allegations of a prolific doping and corruption. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said last month multiple athletes from a host of countries and sports had been caught using banned drugs in retests of hundreds of blood samples taken at both Games. (This copy corrects lead to say boost, not blow) (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Angus MacSwan)