Russian Skiing Champion Tests Positive for EPO

The All Sport news agency said Matveeva failed the test at a World Cup event in Canada in January.

Russian skiing champion Natalia Matveeva has tested positive for the blood-booster EPO, local media, quoting the skier's coach, reported on Sunday.

The All Sport news agency said Matveeva, 22, who finished fourth in the sprint at last month's world cross-country skiing championships in the Czech Republic, failed the test at a World Cup event in Canada in January.

"It must be a mistake because I know that Natalia does not use any doping," the agency quoted Matveeva's coach, Tatyana Revina, as saying. "We just have to wait for the B sample to be analysed in the next day or two."

The Russian skiing federation and the Russian Olympic Committee could not be reached for comment.

Various Russian sports federations have been under scrutiny in recent months after several high-profile athletes failed drug tests.

Last month the International Biathlon Federation suspended Dmitri Yaroshenko, Ekaterina Iourieva and Albina Akhatova, all world or Olympic champions, after they tested positive for EPO.

Last year, five leading Russian race walkers received two-year bans after testing positive for EPO while seven others, including twice world 1,500 metres champion Tatyana Tomashova, were suspended for manipulating their drug samples.