Russian biathlete Anton Shipulin has announced his retirement from the sport ©Getty Images

Russian biathlete Anton Shipulin, who was banned from the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics for his alleged role in Russia's state-sponsored doping programme and is currently under investigation by the Austrian police, has announced his retirement.

The 31-year old will retire after participating in the 2018 World Team Challenge, an annual biathlon event in the German city of Gelsenkirchen on Saturday (December 29), alongside compatriot Ekaterina Yurlova.

Shipulin cited the drug allegations as the main reason why he is retiring. 

"I will be racing jointly with Ekaterina Yurlova," he said, according to Russia's official states news agency TASS.

"The most important I would like to say is that this race will be the last one in my professional career.

"I have made a decision to wrap up my sports career.

"There's no sense in carrying on torturing myself, my fans and my loved ones.

"I can't find in myself the motivation that I need.

"I am not trying to run from problems.

"I have always said I was clean.

"All possible accusations towards myself, even all rumours are nonsense. 

"Total nonsense."

Biathlete Anton Shipulin won an Olympic gold medal in the 4x7.5km relay at Sochi 2014 but was banned from Pyeongchang 2018 following accusations of being involved with Russia's state-sponsored doping programme ©Getty Images
Biathlete Anton Shipulin won an Olympic gold medal in the 4x7.5km relay at Sochi 2014 but was banned from Pyeongchang 2018 following accusations of being involved with Russia's state-sponsored doping programme ©Getty Images

Shipulin was one of many Russian athletes banned from Pyeongchang 2018  by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Following evidence of state-sponsored doping at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games, the IOC officially barred Russia from Pyeongchang, but invited athletes with no history of doping to compete under the Olympic Athletes from Russia banner.

Shipulin was not among the list of those invited to Pyeongchang 2018 but vehemently denies any involvement in the doping progamme at Sochi 2014, where he won a gold medal in the 4x7.5 kilometres relay.

His appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was rejected however.

He and nine other members of the Russian biathlon team are now under investigation by the Austrian police for "fraud in connection with doping" at the World Championships event in Hochfilzen in 2017, where Shipulin won the gold medal in the 4x7.5km relay.

Shipulin finished the 2017-2018 Biathlon World Cup season in third place, despite struggling with mononucleosis disease. 

This made him the most successful Russian biathlete for the fifth year in a row.

Shipulin will end his career with seven World Championship medals, including the gold in Hochfilzen.

He was also a member of Russia's team that won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4x7.5km relay at Vancouver 2010.