February 7, 2012  Print Email | Russian athletes accused of using new performance enhancer
Names to be officially disclosed after analysis of B samples
Posted by Agencies at 11:43 AM GMT on Feb 04, 2009 | MOSCOW (AFP): Three Russian biathletes alleged to have failed dope tests were using a completely new performance enhancer, the president of the sport's ruling body said today.
So far the names of the three athletes have not been revealed because the results from the analysis of their B samples have yet to be released.
 International Biathlon Union (IBU) president Anders Besseberg is reported as saying the trio had not been caught using EPO (erythropoietin), the banned blood booster which has been popular with endurance athletes.
"We're not talking about EPO. This is a completely new medication," the Russian media quoted Besseberg as saying.
He said, "I consider this a serious breakthrough in our fight against doping." Besseberg stressed that the names of the alleged dope cheats would not be revealed before their B samples were tested.
However Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravda, citing unofficial sources, today named Ekaterina Iourieva, Albina Akhatova and Dmitry Yaroshenko as the athletes who tested positive.
Iourieva leads the women's overall World Cup standings, having claimed her second win of the season on January 25 in the mass-start event in Antholz, Italy.
Earlier this week the IBU informed the Russian Biathlon Union of the failed tests by two women and one man on December 5 last year at a World Cup event at Ostersund, Sweden.
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