Salzburg: The International Biathlon Union is upholding a provisional suspension of Russia's Irina Starykh for failing a doping test after her "B'' sample confirmed the results of the initial test.
IBU says recombinant EPO has been found in the sample and Starykh will remain banned from competition until a hearing by its anti-doping panel "in the next weeks."
Starykh pulled out of Russia's Olympic biathlon team a week before the Sochi Games following the results of the first test, which she called a "misunderstanding," adding she was "truly sorry that this story is linked to my name."
Starykh, who is the highest-ranked Russian on the overall World Cup standings in eighth, was caught doping during an out-of-competition test in Pokljuka, Slovenia on Dec. 23.
