2nd Russian Athlete Tests Positive For Banned Substance In Pyeongchang

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games conclude in Pyeongchang, South Korea this weekend, but not before at least 3 athletes have tested positively for banned substances, with 2 of those Olympians representing Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR).

The first positive drug test was announced on February 13th, when Japanese men’s short track speed skater Kei Saito tested positive for acetazolamide, a prohibited diuretic. During a random test at the Olympic Village on February 4th, Kei tested positive, with his B sample also producing the same result. The athlete stated, “I think the only way I could have ingested a prohibited substance is without my knowledge.”  The Japanese Olympic Committee said it would be providing ‘proper verification after the Games’, but the athlete has been provisionally suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Not a nation known for prolific doping, Japan already suffered another doping violation earlier this year in the sport of swimming. As reported on January 15th, a swimmer competing at an intercollegiate competition in Osaka Prefecture back in September tested positive for an unspecified banned substance. Per the Japanese Anti-Doping Authority, the ‘swimmer took supplements produced overseas whose labels did not mention the banned stimulants they contained.’

Also in Pyeongchang, Russian curler Aleksandr Krushelnitckii, tested positive for meldonium, a drug designed to treat people with heart conditions, which was at the center of controversy back in 2016. Krushelnitckiiand his wife/curling partner wound up medaling in the mixed curling event, but were stripped of their bronze in light of the 25-year-old’s positive outcome. Krushelnitckii still does not accept wrongdoing but said in a statement to Russia’s official State news agency, that it would be “stupid to deny” the results of two positive tests. (Inside the Games) 

Then just today it has been revealed that a 2nd athlete representing the Olympic Athletes from Russia has tested positive. Nadezhda Sergeeva, a member of the two-woman bobsled team that finished 12th, tested positive for trimetazidine, a stimulant usually used to treat patients suffering from angina. This is the same substance for which multi-Olympic gold medalist swimmer Sun Yang tested positive and for which he subsequently served a 3-month suspension back in 2014.

Stanislav Pozdnyakov, head of the OAR delegation here in Pyeongchang, has criticised the athlete for “negligence”. (Inside the Games)

Interestingly, Sergeeva was reported among the set of Russians who tested positive for meldonium in 2016 but was cleared after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) its ‘grace period’ whereby athletes testing positive for the banned substance would be found at ‘no fault’ if the test was taken prior to a designated date and under a certain amount.

Also interesting is the fact that Sergeeva once competed in Russia’s track and field as a heptathlete before making the move to bobsled in 2010. While speaking to reporters earlier this month prior to Pyeongchang, she wore a t-shirt with ‘I don’t do doping’ emblazoned on the front.

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AfterShock
6 years ago

I might have this wrong, but I believe that you can’t be banned from the Olympics if you claim you accidentally doped by sitting on a public bathroom toilet seat.

Sum Ting Wong
6 years ago

If she had gone to see esteemed American doctors she would have been treated without drugs . Dr Larry Nasser would have diligently & digitally explored all bad energy flows .

Dear child I see you live in world without love. You do not need meds , you need me . I fix girls without drugs with my unique ligament & electrical pathways realignment & resynthizising . Here is my MSU chart for treating Osmosis , Myasma , Displasia , Orgasmia , Fantasmia, Beamophobia that I used on all these Olympic gold medallists . However I really needed to begin treatment when you were 11 like them . I made them !

Remember to wear something teeny lycra &… Read more »

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Sum Ting Wong
6 years ago

Jesus Christmas, dude. The first Nasser mention dark as hell and I was here for it, but the next two literal paragraphs were maybe just a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit too far and now I’m kinda scared of and for you.

Non-biased
6 years ago

Apparently it’s a crime to have any sort of heart problems

Dudeman
Reply to  Non-biased
6 years ago

Apparently Russia has some of the highest occurrences of elite athletes with heart condiditons

Yozhik
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

Sources, please.

Dudeman
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

It was a joke, i’m just saying that Efimova was busted for the same substance as the curler, a lot of the medication they get busted for is used to treat heart conditions

Yozhik
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

Efimova cannot make a step without lying. First her explanation of the illegal usage of meldonium was undisclosed medical needs and then when the legal loophole was found she’s suddenly become absolutely healthy. Awarding her with high civil order by Russian Government makes her a part of this doping scandal that resulted in Olympic ban of Russian delegation.

Yozhik
Reply to  Dudeman
6 years ago

To those who voted UP to DUDEMAN statement. I think that statements like this are very harmful and don’t make any good if they are not supported by facts and just coming from minds influenced by cheap yellow media.
As much as I was infuriated by the fact that a youngster who isn’t allowed to make a sip of beer can buy legally semiautomatic assault rifle I was surprised by statistics that more casualties in USA was caused by guns rather then by high capacity magazine semiautomatic rifles in the ratio 20:1

Dudeman
Reply to  Yozhik
6 years ago

I wasn’t claiming to make any factual statements, simply pointing out something that a lot of people might notice, no need to get all political. It’s entirely possible for me to be wrong but the fact is I, and many other people, might be skeptical that so many Russian, Olympic caliber athletes also require medication for heart conditions.

Pvdh
6 years ago

There needs to be a straight blanket ban for 2020. No more OAR nonsense.

Ferb
Reply to  Pvdh
6 years ago

That will never happen.

Person
6 years ago

I recommend the documentary “Icarus” for those interested in learning more about this issue.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Person
6 years ago

As a Person that watched it – see what I did there – are you now in favor of all doping, like me?!

People gettin’ killed over this!!

M Palota
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

Short answer is no.

While the doping control protocols we have now are far from perfect, they are something. without them, there’d be a free-for-all and high performance sport would get even more dangerous than it already is. We need doping control, however imperfect, to protect athletes from themselves and from those around them.

And I did see “Icarus”. Incredible film and should be required viewing for anybody interested in the issue.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  M Palota
6 years ago

But are we sure it’s not a free-for-all right now? It seems only the most moronic get caught.

fluidg
6 years ago

IOC: ALL Russian athletes are banned for systemic DOPING.
Cheaters: Oh, no! We’re NOT Russian athletes. We’re athletes from Russia!
IOC: Oh! Ok. Why didn’t you say so?! Come on in!

What a joke. Straight out of Monty Python.

Steve Nolan
6 years ago

wait wait wait wait wait this new one is WAY funnier than you guys gave it credit for:

comment image

She doesn’t do doping!! Link!

cbswims
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

She has a future in politics

Steve Nolan
6 years ago

The fact that a curler got got should really raise a lot of eyebrows. It’s basically just 30 seconds of really vigorous housework every so often!!

Dan
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

Think of it as bowling on ice, if you can keep your heart rate down you can control what happens better.

Dudeman
Reply to  Steve Nolan
6 years ago

I bet they can clean their house so fast tho

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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