Ukrainian athletes fail drug test in Winter Games
Ukrainian athletes cross-country skier Valentyna Kaminska and bobsledder Lidiia Hunko tested positive for prohibited substances during a doping control at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The international testing agency (ITA) said that Hunko failed a drug testing procedure on February 14and has been found to use an anabolic steroid and was immediately provisionally suspended.
"The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022," the ITA said.
"This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity, during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022," it continued.
However, ITA also said Hunko has the right to challenge her suspension before the court of Arbitration for Sport - Anti-Doping Division and m has the right to request the analysis of the sample used in the test.
While for Kamiska’s case, ITA said it took Kaminska’s doping sample on February 10, and received results Tuesday that the sample had tested positive for the stimulants heptaminol and 5-methylhexan-2-amine and an anabolic androgenic steroid, a common performance-enhancing drug.
Like Hunko, the ITA also informed Kamiska that she has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample and may also challenge the suspension before the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ADD).
Kaminska had already competed in all her three events at the Beijing Olympics, coming in 79th in the women's 10 km classic cross-country, 70th in women's sprint free qualification and helping team Ukraine to finish 18th in the women's 4x5-km relay.
Hunko is the third athlete to be confirmed for a doping case during Games as Kaminska was tested positive for three banned substances, including a form of anabolic steroids earlier and Iranian skier Hossein Saveh Shemshaki was the first to be found to have doping.
Tags: #WinterOlympics, #WADA, #sports