Russian skier Natalia Baranova has been thrown out of the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City after testing positive for EPO. The International Ski Federation revealed former world junior champion Baranova had, according to the official Winter Olympics website, produced a positive test on January 18 at a competition in Tauplitzalm, Austria.
A second sample tested positive for the banned stamina-increasing drug yesterday. The ISF informed the Russian Olympic Committee that Baranova would be suspended from international competition for two years and as a result not be allowed to compete at Salt Lake City.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
