First meldonium case exposed in Russian athletics (Reuters)

By Jack Stubbs MOSCOW (Reuters) – A first Russian track-and-field athlete has tested positive for the banned drug meldonium, heaping further pressure on the country’s athletics federation as it fights to be readmitted to international competition in time for the Olympic Games. Thirteen Russian sportsmen and women have now been caught using meldonium since it was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency on Jan. 1, including world tennis star Maria Sharapova and speed skating Olympic gold-medalist Semion Elistratov. Despite warnings from sports officials that a number of other Russian competitors could have taken the substance, Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko told Reuters last week meldonium had nothing to do with athletics in his country.