MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Retired Russian heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin will not challenge the decision of the International Doping Control Agency (ITA), although he considers it illegitimate, a source from Povetkin’s team told TASS on Saturday.

“Alexander (Povetkin) chose not to appeal the decision,” the source said. “He considers the latest events to be absurd and illegitimate. He has concluded his career and does not plan to return.”

The ITA said Thursday it had decided to suspend Povetkin for alleged anti-doping rule violations. The ITA announced that it had temporarily suspended Russian boxer Povetkin for suspected positive testing and violating anti-doping rules.

According to a source close to Povetkin, traces of Enobosarm were detected in the Russian boxer’s test sample, the same substance for which he was already suspended in 2016.

Povetkin, 45, is known to his fans as the “Russian Vityaz” and has a personal record of 36 wins (25 KOs), three losses and one draw during his career. The Russian boxer won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

He announced his retirement in 2021 and is now a politician, having been appointed to the position of deputy governor of Russia’s Vologda region in May 2024.