ZCZC
BSP-05
OLY-2018-DOPING-CURLING-RUS-RUSSIA-KRUSHELNITSKY
Russian curler’s doping hearing cancelled: CAS
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea, Feb 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – The Court of Arbitration
for Sport cancelled a hearing into the doping case of a Russian Olympic
curler on Thursday, hours after reports said he had declined to appear.
“In the matter International Olympic Committee and World Curling
Federation v Alexander Krushelnitsky, all parties have requested the Anti-
doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport to cancel the hearing
today,” a statement said.
A decision in the case will be announced later and will be based on
written submissions, CAS said.
Krushelnitsky, bronze medallist in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics mixed
doubles curling, earlier told Russian media it was “stupid to deny” failing
two drugs tests.
“I am ready for the appropriate verdict, which in such cases is
predictably identical,” Krushelnitsky said in a statement published by RIA
Novosti.
“Due to this, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to pull
out of the holding of the CAS hearing over my situation. I consider that
under the current rules it is useless and pointless,” he said.
Krushelnitsky’s A and B urine samples both showed the presence of the
banned substance meldonium, the same drug which led to a 15-month ban for
Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.
His case has been controversial as he was one of 168 athletes who passed
rigorous testing to compete as a neutral in Pyeongchang, where Russia are
banned following the discovery of systemic doping.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1103 hrs