Second Russian athlete fails doping test at Winter Games
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[February 23, 2018]
By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Karolos Grohmann
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (Reuters) - A
second Russian athlete has tested positive for a
performance-enhancing drug at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, a
major blow for the nation's hopes of regaining its Olympic status
and drawing a line under years of doping scandals.
Bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva tested positive for a heart drug on
Feb. 18, five days after a previous doping test returned a negative
result for her, the Russian bobsleigh federation said in a statement
on Friday.
"On Feb. 13, her sample was clean. The team's medical staff did not
prescribe the drug to the athlete," the federation said in a post on
its official Facebook page.
"The Bobsleigh Federation of Russia and the athlete herself
understand the extent of their responsibility and understand how
what has happened can have an impact on the fate of the whole team."

Earlier this week, Russian curling medalist Alexander Krushelnitsky
agreed to hand back his mixed-team bronze medal after testing
positive for meldonium, which can aid in endurance.
Krushelnitsky's case shocked the Russian athletes, who are competing
at the Games as neutral athletes as punishment over allegations that
the sporting powerhouse ran a systematic, state-backed doping
program. Moscow denies this.
But his case also raised doubts about whether the violation was
intentional because meldonium would offer few benefits in curling,
which does not involve intense physical exertion.
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Pyeongchang, South Korea; Nadezhda Sergeeva and Anastasia
Kocherzhova (OAR) during the third run of the women's bobsleigh
during the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games at Olympic Sliding
Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Seals-USA TODAY Sports

At that point, there were still Russian hopes that the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) would go ahead and lift its suspension of
Russia's Olympic committee and allow them to march with the Russian
flag at Sunday's closing ceremony.
That prospect is now severely complicated by the second positive
test of a Russian athlete. Russia now accounts for two out of four
positive tests during the Games.
The IOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news came a few hours after hundreds of Russian fans roared in
celebration when teenage figure skater Alina Zagitova delivered
their team's first gold medal.
(Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Karolos Grohmann;
Editing by Mark Bendeich)
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