MOSCOW, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - Former Russian Olympic shooting champion Sergei Alifirenko has been banned from the Beijing Games for doping violations, after taking medicine for glaucoma, Russian media reported Wednesday.

Alifirenko was expelled from the Olympic squad after he was shown to have taken the banned substance dexametazon as part of a course of treatment for the eye disease.

Under international shooting rules, the 39-year-old could face a ban of up to two years.

Russia's shooting head coach Oleg Lapkin said that because of poor results and a dip in form due to eye problems Alifirenko would have not made the Olympic squad anyway.

'Sergei is currently experiencing serious problems with his eyesight,' Lapkin said Wednesday.

'We were forced to replace him with Leonid Yekimov, who won the European championship this year.'

Alifirenko won gold in the men's 25-metre rapid fire pistol event in Sydney, taking the bronze four years later in Athens.