Second Russian Olympic Athlete Tests Positive For Doping

Russian bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeyeva (file photo)

A Russian bobsledder has tested positive for a banned substance, Aleksandr Zubkov, the president of the Russian Bobsled Federation said on February 23.

A drug-test sample that bobsled pilot Nadezhda Sergeyeva provided on February 18 tested positive for a banned heart medication, Zubkov said.

Sergeyeva is the second Russian athlete to test positive for illegal performance-enhancing drugs at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Sergeyeva and her team mate finished 12th in the two-woman bobsleigh competition on February 21.

Sergeyeva says she took no such medication and the team says she was not issued any medication, according to Zubkov.

The delegation of Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) confirmed on February 23 that it received notification that Sergeyeva tested positively for using trimetazidine.

The notification came a day after Russian curler Aleksandr Krushelnitsky was stripped of a bronze medal for using meldonium.

A Slovenian hockey player and a Japanese speedskater also both left the games after failing tests.

The Russians are competing under the Olympic flag and in neutral uniforms because of what the International Olympic Committee describes as a state-run, systemic doping program at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

OAR Hockey Team Reaches Final

Meanwhile, Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) have defeated the Czech Republic by a score of 3-0 in their men's semifinal hockey match.

The victory at the Winter Olympics in South Korea sends the team of Russian athletes into the final to compete for gold on February 25 against the winner of the February 24 semifinal match between Canada or Germany.

The team of Russian athletes scored twice within 30 seconds of the second period against the Czech team on February 23.

After a scoreless first period, Nikita Gusev broke the deadlock midway through the second period and Vladislav Gavrikov added another goal just 27 seconds later.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored the final goal for the team of Russian athletes with an empty-net goal with 20 seconds remaining in the game.

The Russians are competing under the Olympic flag and in neutral uniforms because of what the International Olympic Committee describes as a state-run, systemic doping program at the Winter Olympics in Sochi in 2014.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and CT Sport TV