Moscow, Nov 19 (IANS): Russian high jumper Elena Slesarenko will appeal the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decision to annul her fourth place standing at the 2008 Beijing Olympics after her doping samples turned out to be positive following a re-examination.

On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee announced that it had annulled Slesarenko's fourth place standing, which she had clinched at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing following a re-inspection of her doping test.

"My lawyers are formulating an appeal. A lawsuit will be filed at the international Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). We are going to challenge this IOC decision," Slesarenko told Tass on Friday. 

The IOC has included another 16 athletes (three Russians among them) in its newly published list of athletes whose 2008 Olympic doping samples tested positive after being re-checked. 

The three Russian athletes stripped of their medals include wrestler Hasan Baroyev (silver medal), weightlifters Khadzhimurat Akkayev and Dmitry Lapikovlov (bronze medals). 

The blood samples of all the four Russian athletes contained a banned substance called turinabol.

Slesarenko noted that the IOC decision was not unexpected. "It does not matter if I agree or disagree. All this is irrelevant. Everything will be settled in the courtroom. 

"There is a decision and there is an appeal. If the decision on my appeal is going to be positive, I will be right, if not, then..," Slesarenko stated.

The 34-year-old Slesarenko is the 2004 Athens Olympic high-jump gold medal winner. 

She is also a two-time world champion in indoor competitions. Slesarenko retired from sports two years ago, and is currently the head of the Youth Policy Committee of the Volgograd region.