Russian Olympic medallist in doping case

PYEONGCHANG: A Russian medallist at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics is suspected of having tested positive for a banned substance, a source at the Games said yesterday, in a potential major blow to Russia’s efforts to emerge from a drugcheating scandal.

Alexander Krushelnitsky, a bronze-medallist along with his wife in mixed-doubles curling, is suspected of having tested positive for meldonium, the source said. Meldonium increases blood flow which improves exercise capacity in athletes.

Krushelnitsky did not respond immediately to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Russian delegation at Pyeongchang said he had no immediate comment.

Russia have been accused of running a state-backed, systematic doping programme for years, an allegation Moscow denies. Their athletes are competing at Pyeongchang as neutral “Olympic Athletes from Russia” (OAR).

Russian sports officials are to meet anti-doping officers at Pyeongchang, the source said, adding that any violation would only be confirmed after analysis of a “B” sample.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said they had taken note of the case without going into details.

They said that if the case were to be confirmed, it would be considered by their OAR Implementation panel, the body in charge of monitoring the OAR team’s behaviour at the Games.

“On the one hand it is extremely disappointing when prohibited substances might have been used, but on the other hand it shows the effectiveness of the anti-doping system at the Games which protects the rights of all the clean athletes,” an IOC spokesperson said.