The head of the Russian Skating Union Alexei Kravtsov said that the banned drug meldonium had been planted on skaters whose doping tests have shown positive results, the Kommersant news agency reported Wednesday.
He added that the accused skaters are going to defend their version of events in an appeal to the International Skating Union.
"The drug was deliberately planted on us by some other athletes. We will need to identify them," Kravtsov said, Kommersant reported.
On Tuesday, Olympic short track champion Semyon Elistratov and five-time skating world champion Kulizhnikov were suspended from competition after meldonium was detected in their blood.
The chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) independent commission Dick Pound expressed his doubt that Russia would be able to deal with its doping problem in time to make it to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Reuters news agency reported Wednesday.
“There seems to be some evidence that they’re just changing deck-chairs on the Titanic," he told an anti-doping conference, Reuters reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
