Coach Of Belarusian National Rowing Team: Bahdanovich Brothers Tested Positive For Meldonium

Five of our sportsmen tested positive for traces of meldonium.

The main coach of the Belarusian national team in rowing and canoeing Uladzimir Shantarovich commented to Pressball on the information about doping, found in the blood of his team, which was published by the French newspaper Le Monde.

– Indeed, five of our sportsmen tested positive for traces of meldonium. Two of them – the Bahdanovich brothers. The remaining three – the canoeist Maksim Piatrou, kayakers Aliaksandr Liapeshka and Dzmitry Silchanka – are not included in the Olympic team. It was reported that no "more serious doping" had been found in the blood of the boys.

The sportsmen were tested by the French National Anti-Doping Agency in March. And, as far as I know, the amount of meldonium in all the tests does not exceed the norms set by WADA in the well-known document distributed by all the mass media. However, the case is being investigated. The French agency will find out when exactly the substance, which is prohibited today, got into the organism of Belarusian athletes – before or after January 1. Each case is investigated separately. It is planned that the International Rowing Federation and WADA will announce the results of the investigation in mid-June. Until then, it would be premature to assert that the Bahdanovich brothers will not go to Rio de Janeiro.

I would like to note that all our team has been checked for doping. Tests of the entire women's team and tests of the members of the men's kayak four team headed by Raman Piatrushenka are absolutely clean.