sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Russian Bobsledder Fails Doping Test After Wearing 'I Don't Do Doping' Shirt

Russian Bobsledder Fails Doping Test After Wearing 'I Don't Do Doping' Shirt

Russian bobsled pilot Nadezhda Sergeeva has tested positive for a banned heart medication on 18 February, the federation confirmed

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden

Banned from this year's Winter Olympics for doping four years ago, Russia aren't having much luck persuading people that things are different now.

Now a second athlete from the Olympic Athletes of Russia team (competing instead of the banned Team Russia - complicated, this) at the 2018 Winter Olympics has tested positive for a banned substance. Is this a hint that Russia's athletics authorities needs to do more to clean up their act?

In a statement earlier today, the Russian Bobsled Federation confirmed that Russian bobsleigh pilot Nadezhda Sergeeva tested positive for a banned heart medication on 18 February, just five days after she passed another test.

Nadezhda Sergeeva (r) and her co-pilot Anastasia Kocherzhova at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
PA

"A doping test for the Russian team's pilot Nadezhda Sergejeva on 18 February gave positive results for a banned heart medication," read the official statement.

"A few days before that, on February 13, her test was clean. The medical staff of the national team did not prescribe the drug to the sportswoman."

"The Bobsled Federation of Russia and the athlete herself understands the extent of her responsibility and understands how the event may affect the fate of the whole team."

Sergeeva piloted the Russian bobsled team to 12th in the women's competition on Wednesday and denies taking the banned medication, which has not yet been identified.

PA

The result makes Sergeeva the second Russian athlete in the 2018 Winter Olympics to fail a doping test, just hours after Russian curler Alexander Krushelnitsky was stripped of his bronze medal after testing positive for meldonium.

Yesterday the Court of Arbitration for Sport officially found Krushelnitsky guilty of breaching anti-doping regulations and formally stripped him of his medal.

This isn't the first time that Sergeeva has fallen foul of anti-doping laws as she also tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in 2016.

Meldonium, a widely used anti-ischemia medication, was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency right at the start of 2016, a move which affected hundreds of athletes who were caught off-guard by the ban.

Sergeeva's positive test is ironic, really, as in the run-up to this year's Winter Olympics she was filmed wearing a shirt saying 'I Don't Do Doping' under her training shirt. Check out the video below:


Russia was officially banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics after it was found to be systematically doping its Olympic and Paralympic athletes at the last Winter Olympics in 2014 in Sochi.

Despite the ban, a large number of Russian athletes have been allowed to take part in the Games by the International Olympic Committee, and are competing under the banner 'Olympic Athletes from Russia' (OAR).

Competing under the OAR banner means the athletes must hear the Olympic anthem rather than the Russian anthem if they win a gold, and may be unable to carry the Russian flag at the closing ceremony this weekend.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: SPORT, News, Russia