On Monday Russia’s athletics chief said four track-and-field athletes had tested positive, adding further scrutiny to a nation now banned from global track-and-field competitions after last year’s revelations of widespread cheating and corruption. “At the current time, we are preparing for a hearing into my case”.
Advertisement
The Latvian manufacturers of the drug say that “its terminal elimination from the body may last for several months” depending on factors such as the dose and length of time it has been taken. Others include Swedish distance runner and 2013 world champion Abeba Aregawi, Russian cyclist Eduard Vorganov and Ukrainian biathlete Olga Abramova.
Kalvins claimed that Russian Federation, back in the day, had conducted studies that examined the medical benefits from taking meldonium in athletes.
Meldonium hit the headlines earlier this month when Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova announced she had tested positive for the drug.
Last week, the All-Russian Swimming Federation (ARSF) confirmed that the International Swimming Federation (FINA) has temporarily suspended the sportswoman from competitions due to possible anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for use of meldonium drug. “I stopped taking this stuff long before it was banned”, R-Sport news agency quoted Kotlyarova as saying.
“I’ve never clung onto this position and I’ve become exhausted”, Mutko told Russia’s R-Sport agency, also saying that he is “prepared to take responsibility for everything”.
Amid the continued crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown support for the country’s sports minister, Vitaly Mutko.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Advertisement
At least 16 Russian sportsmen and women, speed skating Olympic gold-medallist Semion Elistratov, have been caught using meldonium since the ban came into effect. If confirmed to involve meldonium, it would be the third such case in track and field worldwide after former world 1,500m champion Abeba Aregawi of Sweden and the former European indoor 800m champion Nataliya Lupu of Ukraine.
