Winter Olympics: Spanish figure skater Laura Barquero fails doping test

Spanish figure skater Laura Barquero tested positive for a banned substance at the Winter Olympics, according to the International Testing Agency (ITA).

The ITA said a sample taken on 18 February contained a metabolite of clostebol, which is on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Barquero was tested during the pairs skating short programme in Beijing.

«The athlete has been informed. She has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample,» said the ITA.

«The matter will thereafter be referred to the anti-doping division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for adjudication under the IOC [International Olympic Committee] anti-doping rules applicable to the Olympic Games Beijing 2022.

»Given that the case is under way, there will be no further comments during the ongoing proceeding."

It is the fourth positive test from the Games, which were dominated by the case of 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva.

Russian Valieva was allowed to compete in Beijing despite testing positive for banned angina drug trimetazidine before the Winter Olympics.