Russian team in shock over Games doping scandal

gangneung — Russian athletes and sports officials voiced disbelief on Monday that one of their Winter Games medallists was being investigated for suspected doping, a scandal that could imperil Russia’s efforts to regain full Olympic status.

Alexander Krushelnitsky, who competes in curling, one of the Games’ least physically taxing sports, is suspected of testing positive for meldonium, a banned substance that increases blood flow and improves exercise capacity.

“It’s stupid, but Alexander is not stupid, so I don’t believe it,” Russian

It’s stupid, but alexander is not stupid, so I don’t believe it

Sergei Belanov

women’s curling coach Sergei Belanov said. He echoed a general bewilderment among curling athletes who could not fathom why anyone would use drugs that aid endurance in a sport that is a kind of chess on ice, needing steady hands and concentration rather than physical fitness.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has launched a doping procedure against him, but no hearing date had been fixed yet.

“We were all shocked when we found out yesterday. Of course we very much hope it was some kind of mistake,” Russian curler Viktoria Moiseeva told reporters, adding that the team believed Krushelnitsky was innocent. “With us it’s not faster, higher, stronger; it’s about being more accurate. I can’t imagine what kind of drugs you could use in curling ... so it’s very hard to believe.”

Russia’s curling federation told Monday it had launched an internal investigation of the doping case.— Reuters / AP