A hockey player from Belarus was identified Wednesday as the athlete who tested positive for steroids at the Winter Olympics, while Britain’s slalom bronze medalist blamed a decongestant for his positive test.
If both athletes–Visaly Pankov of Belarus and Alain Baxter of Scotland–are found guilty of drug offenses, it will bring the number of confirmed doping cases in Salt Lake City to five–matching the total from all previous Winter Games.
The International Ice Hockey Federation said a Belarusian player tested positive for nandrolone after his team’s 7-2 loss to Russia in the bronze medal game on Feb. 23. The Belarus Olympic committee identified him as forward Vasily Pankov.
Committee spokesman Pyotr Ryabukhin denied that banned substances had been supplied by Belarus team officials.
If found guilty, Pankov would be retroactively disqualified and lose his Olympic certificate. The Belarus team as a whole would not face sanctions.
In Britain, Baxter claimed an over-the-counter decongestant or nasal spray must be responsible for the positive test.
– U.S. national gymnastics champion Sean Townsend and two teammates tested positive for cannabis and were warned they could be suspended if this happens again.
Townsend, Brett McClure and Jason Gatson failed an unannounced, out-of-competition test in January, the International Gymnastics Federation said.
A positive test for cannabis does not merit an automatic suspension because it is not performance-enhancing.
