Male alpine skier Hossein Sabeh Sharki, who was an Iranian jockey at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, has been confirmed to have tested positive for a banned drug.
The International Testing Agency·ITA said that an analysis of samples taken from Sharkey showed that he had tested positive for an anabolic androgenic steroid designated as a banned drug by the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA).
The Associated Press says Sharkey will be recorded as the first doping case at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Earlier, it was suspected that Russian women’s figure star Kamila Valyeva had tested positive for the banned drug trimethazidine, but the International Olympic Committee(IOC)has not yet made an official announcement.
Proteinated Androgenic steroids are drugs that are involved in protein assimilation to strengthen muscles and the expression of male sexual characteristics, a type of banned drug used by Russian weightlifters in the 1950s.
As a result of the ITA’s examination, Sharkey was provisionally suspended from qualifying for the rest of the Olympic Games.
However, Sharkey may file a complaint with the Sports Arbitration Court(CAS).
Following the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, Sharkey, who was Iran’s opening ceremony jockey at the Beijing Winter Olympics, is Iran’s leading winter athlete, finishing 31st in the Alpine Ski rotation at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
(Photo = ITA homepage capture, Yonhap News)