Iranian skier suspended from Games in latest doping scandal
The Beijing Winter Olympics have been rocked by another doping scandal, with Iranian skier Hossein Saveh Shemshaki testing positive for an anabolic steroid.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) announced the 36-year-old's sample from prior to the Games had returned a positive test on Thursday night.
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Shemshaki will have the right to rquest his B-sample be tested, as well as the right to challenge the result in the Court of Arbitration for sport.
Considered an outsider for medal contention at the Winter Olympics, Shemshaki's previous best result in the slalom was 31st at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Shemshaki has not competed at the World Cup level before, appearing only at the Olympics in previous years.
“The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter in line with the World Anti-Doping Code and the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022,” the ITA said in a statement.
“This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching or participating in any activity during the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.”
It is just the second time an Iranian Olympic athlete has recorded a positive doping test in the nation's history, with the only other occasion at the 1972 Munich Olympics, with weightlifter Mohamad Nasehi Ar Jomand.
The Beijing Games is also dealing with a separate doping matter after 15-year-old Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva returned a positive sample to a banned substance earlier this week.
Winter Olympics dealing with fallout from doping scandal
Valieva made history earlier this week at the Beijing Winter Olympics when she became the first woman to land a quadruple jump at the Games.
The never-before-seen feat earned ROC the gold medal in the teams competition, ahead of the US and China.
According to Russian media and Olympics website Inside the Games, the 'legal issue' around Valieva relates to a test taken by the teenager prior to the games.
As a result, the podium ceremony for the team competition has been delayed.
Valieva's sample reportedly came back positive for the drug trimetazidine, a metabolic agent commonly used to treat angina and vertigo, but is a banned substance for athletes due to it's potential to aid athletic performance.
The International Testing Agency, the organisation responsible for drug testing for the Olympics, issued a statement soon after the delay.
"The ITA is aware of the various reports circulating regarding the postponed medal ceremony for the figure skating team event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022," it said in a statement.
"Any announcement connected to these events would always be publicly issued on the ITA's website and not commented on otherwise.
"No such announcement has been published to date."
At just 15 years old, Valieva is considered a 'protected person' by the World Anti-Doping Authority, which states younger athletes 'may not possess the mental capacity to understand and appreciate the prohibitions against conduct contained in the Code'.
The delay has prompted the Kremlin to issue a statement, with Russina president Vladimir Putin's spokesman asking fans to 'wait for some clarification from our sports officials, or from the IOC for understanding'.
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