Olympics-Athletics-Six leading Russian women to miss Games

MOSCOW, July 31 (Reuters) - The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has banned six leading Russian women after they were suspected of manipulating drug samples, a senior official said on Thursday.

"All six are definitely suspended and will miss the Beijing Olympics," Russia's athletics chief Valentin Balakhnichyov told Reuters.

The six are: twice world 1,500 metres champion Tatyana Tomashova, world indoor 1,500 metres champion Yelena Soboleva, distance runners Yuliya Fomenko and Svetlana Cherkasova, European discus champion Darya Pishchalnikova and former hammer world record holder Gulfia Khanafeyeva.

The Olympics start on Aug. 8.

(Reporting by Gennady Fyodorov; editing by Tony Jimenez)