Russians investigating doping

PYEONGCHANG — Russian sports officials said Tuesday they had started a criminal investigation into how the banned drug meldonium entered the system of Olympic curler Alexander Krushelnitsky, whose failed test was a serious blow to Russia’s chances of rehabilitation from a doping scandal that tainted the country’s performances at the past several Olympics.

Krushelnitsky’s initial failed drug test was confirmed by a second test, but Russian officials said in a statement Tuesday that the level of the drug found in his system suggested he took the drug just once, something that would be “absolutely useless and ineffective in the context of enhancing physical performance or sports results.”

Krushelnitsky, who denied taking the drug found in his system, competed in mixed doubles curling with his wife, winning the bronze medal. An arbitration hearing is expected to take place Wednesday.

In their statement Tuesday, Russian officials sought to tread a fine line between accepting responsibility for the doping violation and expressing doubts that Krushelnitsky had

knowingly taken meldonium, a heart medicine that increases blood flow and has been banned from most sports since 2016. Krushelnitsky passed a drug test on Jan. 22 and several others before that, the Russian officials said. Meldonium, which in 2016 led to a long ban for tennis star Maria Sharapova, usually stays in the system for months.