Second Russian caught doping at Winter Olympics in PyeongChang

Ryan Young
·Staff writer

A second Olympic Athlete from Russia has been caught doping at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Russian bobsleder Nadezhda Sergeeva has tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. Alexander Zubkov, the president of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, confirmed the failed test Friday in PyeongChang. Sergeeva finished in 12th place in the two-man bobsled competition as a pilot in PyeongChang.

Sergeeva was seen wearing a “I Don’t Do Doping” shirt two weeks ago while training for the Olympics, and appeared in an ad for ZaSport.

She told the Associated Press’ James Ellingworth that many athletes from other countries were warming up to her and other Russian Olympians ahead of the games because they were “clean.”

“I don’t know why, but they’ve started talking to us more than ever before. I feel it. Maybe it’s a sign to them that we’re clean,” she told the AP on Feb. 7. “There’s a lot of people coming up and saying ‘we’re happy you’re here.’”

Nadezhda Sergeeva and Anastasia Kocherzhova of the Olympic Athlete from Russia react in the finish area during the Women’s Bobsleigh at the Olympic Sliding Centre on February 21, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (Getty Images)
Nadezhda Sergeeva and Anastasia Kocherzhova of the Olympic Athlete from Russia react in the finish area during the Women’s Bobsleigh at the Olympic Sliding Centre on February 21, 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (Getty Images)

Sergeeva also tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in 2016. Meldonium was first banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency on Jan. 1, 2016, and was widely used before its ban.

The news comes just hours after Russian curler Aleksandr Krushelnitsky was official stripped of his bronze medal after testing positive for meldonium. The Court of Arbitration for Sport officially found Krushelnitsky guilty of an anti-doping violation on Thursday.

Russia is officially banned from the 2018 Olympics after it was caught systematically doping its athletes and Paralympic athletes at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. 168 Russian athletes were allowed to participate in the games after being approved by the International Olympic Committee, and are competing under the “Olympic Athletes from Russia” banner.

The Russian Olympic Committee had just fulfilled the IOC’s financial requirements needed towards reinstatement, which the IOC was considering doing before the conclusion of the 2018 Games. However widespread belief among OAR officials following Sergeeva’s failed test is that the ban will stay through the end of the Games.

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