Doping is not thought to be prevalent in figure skating, but a Russian teenager has been banned one year after testing positive for a banned diuretic that can be used as a masking agent.
Oksana Nagalati failed a drug test due to the presence of furosemide, or Lasix, a substance seen in positive drug tests in track and field and controversially used in horse racing.
Nagalati’s defense was that she was prescribed one pill of the substance to treat body swelling by a doctor unaware of anti-doping rules. That’s not enough to avoid a suspension, so Nagalati will have to sit out until Sept. 13 due to negligence.
The International Skating Union still called her defense credible and declined to issue the standard two year-ban.
