Russia could lose its chance to be reinstated before the end of the Winter Olympics because of a doping charge against curling bronze medallist Alexander Krushelnitsky.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement Monday that it has B次元官网网址渋nitiated a procedure involvingB次元官网网址� Krushelnitsky, who finished third in mixed doubles with his wife, Anastasia Bryzgalova.
Russian officials said he tested positive for meldonium, which was banned in 2016, and has left the Olympic village. No date has been set for a hearing.
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IOC spokesman Mark Adams says a failed doping test could keep RussiaB次元官网网址檚 banned team from marching under the national flag at the closing ceremony.
Russian athletes are participating in the Pyeongchang Olympics as B次元官网网址淥lympic Athletes from Russia.B次元官网网址� The IOC suspended the Russian Olympic committee last year in connection with a massive doping scheme at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi but allowed 168 athletes to compete under neutral uniforms and without the Russian national flag.
Adams confirmed the positive test and says it could have B次元官网网址渃onsequencesB次元官网网址� in evaluating the behaviour the Russian team, which was required to abide by restrictions B次元官网网址� including bans to some medal favourites B次元官网网址� and to undergo extra drug tests.
B次元官网网址淚f confirmed this will be taken into account along with many other factorsB次元官网网址� regarding Russian behaviour,B次元官网网址� Adams said.
Russian Curling Federation president Dmitry Svishchev told The Associated Press that Krushelnitsky tested clean as recently as January 22, the day before he flew to a pre-Olympic training camp in Japan.
Svishchev said it was possible someone spiked KrushelnitskyB次元官网网址檚 food or drink. He suggested that rival Russian athletes or RussiaB次元官网网址檚 political enemies could be responsible.
B次元官网网址淚t canB次元官网网址檛 happen at the Olympic Village because everyone eats the same canteen food,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t could happen at training camp or in the intervening period. B次元官网网址� ThereB次元官网网址檚 a possibility of it being something within the team, that something happened during training camp, or as a political means to achieve some goal.B次元官网网址�
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The curling team trained in Japan in January, bringing in some Russian athletes who had not qualified for the Olympics as practice partners.
The federation senior vice-president Andrei Sozin confirmed to the AP that Krushelnitsky tested positive for meldonium, a substance which was banned in sport in 2016.
B次元官网网址淎lexander has left the Olympic village and given up his accreditation,B次元官网网址� Sozin said. B次元官网网址淲e have information from our sources that the substance found was meldonium, which has not been used by Russian athletes and teams since 2015.B次元官网网址�
Meldonium is the substance that Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova was suspended for after testing positive at the Australian Open in 2016. Before it was banned, many Russian athletes used the drug, which is designed for people with heart problems and some believe can help athletes increase stamina.
KrushelnitskyB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淎 sampleB次元官网网址� tested positive. Adams said a second sample would be tested, and results could be announced within 24 hours.
The Norwegian team finished fourth, and could get the bronze if the positive test is confirmed.
Adams says Russians at the games have undergone B次元官网网址渞igorous testingB次元官网网址� and adds that B次元官网网址淩ussians were tested to a significant level more than others.B次元官网网址�
The case was the talk of the rink at curling.
Russian womenB次元官网网址檚 curling coach Sergei Belanov said he didnB次元官网网址檛 believe that a young and B次元官网网址渃lever manB次元官网网址� would dope. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 stupid. But Aleksandr is not stupid, so I donB次元官网网址檛 believe it.B次元官网网址�
The skip of the Russian womenB次元官网网址檚 team, Viktoria Moiseeva wanted to comfort Krushelnitsky and Bryzgalova but B次元官网网址渨e thought that there are no words to comfort now. We just tried to stay away.B次元官网网址�
Though to the uninitiated, the idea of a curler using performance-enhancing drugs may seem bizarre, the sport does demand a high level of athleticism at the Olympic level. Curlers need to have strong core muscles and upper body strength in order to manage the often rigorous sweeping that helps them guide the rock down the ice.
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Fitness is even more important in mixed doubles, the event Krushelnitsky was competing in. Because there are just two curlers on each team instead of the four in traditional curling, there is little rest between throws, and both teammates are often heavily involved in sweeping.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 physically demanding out there. ItB次元官网网址檚 not like you donB次元官网网址檛 need any muscles,B次元官网网址� said Swiss curler Silvana Tirinzoni, whose team beat the Russian womenB次元官网网址檚 team 11-2 at MondayB次元官网网址檚 round robin. B次元官网网址淲e have to be fit and we have to be working out. My sweepers are working out like five times a week, go to the gym, so it (performance-enhancing drugs) can help, but we shouldnB次元官网网址檛 do that. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 stupid.B次元官网网址�
Tirinzoni said if the reports were confirmed, they would be disappointing. But she said she still had no reservations about playing against the Russian athletes on Monday.
B次元官网网址淚 think clean athletes have the right to compete,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not about me to make those kind of decisions. So I believe the team we played today, they are as clean as we are.B次元官网网址�
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Kristen Gelineau in Gangneung, South Korea, contributed to this report.
James Ellingworth And Stephen Wade, The Associated Press
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