By Adebisi Adeyemi,Lagos
Bobsledder Nadezhda Sergeeva, a Russian athlete, has tested positive to a performance-enhancing drug at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the Russian bobsleigh federation said in a statement on Friday.
Sergeeva tested positive to the drug on Sunday, making her the second Russian athlete to fail a drug test at the games so far.
The result came five days after a previous doping test returned a negative result for her.
“On Feb. 13, her sample was clean. The team’s medical staff did not prescribe the drug to the athlete.
“The Bobsleigh Federation of Russia and the athlete herself understand the extent of their responsibility and understand how what has happened can have an impact on the fate of the whole team,” the federation said.
Earlier this week, Russian curling medalist, Alexander Krushelnitsky, agreed to hand back his mixed-team bronze medal after testing positive for meldonium, which can boost endurance.
The new development is a major blow for the country’s hopes of regaining its Olympic status and would have allowed its athletes march with the Russian flag at Sunday’s closing ceremony.
It was hoped that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would lift its suspension on Russia’s Olympic committee.
That prospect is now severely complicated by the second positive test of a Russian athlete.
Russia now accounts for two out of four positive tests during the Games.
The IOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news came a few hours after hundreds of Russian fans roared in celebration when teenage figure skater Alina Zagitova delivered their team’s first gold medal.
