Winter Olympics skier suspended after testing positive for three banned substances

Ukrainian cross-country skier Valentyna Kaminska has tested positive at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics for prohibited substances and has been provisionally suspended.

The International Testing Agency said on Wednesday that the Belarus-born skier’s adverse analytical finding included mesterolone, an anabolic androgenic steroid, and two banned stimulants.

The sample was collected during an in-competition anti-doping control last Thursday at the Beijing Games.

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Kaminska has competed in the 10km classic, the free sprint and the women’s 4x5km relay in China with the test coming on the day of the 10km classic.

The 34-year-old finished 79th out of 98 athletes in that race, seven minutes and 36.4 seconds behind the gold medallist.

She had finished 70th of 91 entrants in free sprint qualifying, while she did not complete her leg of the relay.

“The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter,” the statement said.

She has the right to challenge the imposition of the provisional suspension before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Kaminska, who competed for Belarus at the 2014 and 2018 Games before switching nationality, also has the right to request the analysis of a B-sample.

Iranian alpine skier Hossein Saveh Shemshaki was the first athlete to test positive for doping at the Beijing Winter Games last week.

There has also been major controversy over 15-year-old Russian skating star Kamila Valieva.

She tested positive for a banned heart medication on December 25 but news of the test was only revealed after she helped the Russians to gold in the figure skating team event.

CA