Explainer: The Drug Behind Russia’s Olympic Doping Case
Feb 10, 2022, 11:09 AM
(Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
BEIJING (AP) — The first big doping case at the games involves one of its biggest stars, Kamila Valieva.
And it seems far from straightforward because she is just 15 years old and has protections as a minor in the anti-doping rule book.
The country at the center of it? Russia. Again.
The first big doping case at #Beijing2022 involves a drug that has shown up in previous controversies. The most famous case involving Chinese swimmer Sun Yang in 2014.
A look at what trimetazidine does, and its sordid history with athletics.https://t.co/kskdIcj7Np
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 10, 2022
The medication trimetazidine is a metabolic agent that helps prevent angina attacks and treats the symptoms of vertigo.
That is according to the European Union’s medicines agency. It can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance.
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Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
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