The Belarusian Canoe Association has denied information published by ‘Le Monde’ on the positive doping test of Belarusian athletes. The coach said that five people had been tested positive.
Yesterday the Paris daily ‘Le Monde’ with reference to a source published an article about a search conducted by the French Anti-Doping Agency in cooperation with the police at the Belarusian training camp. The agency took doping tests from athletes. According to the publication, 17 tests came out positive for meldonium.
Journalists argue that during a search of the Belarusian athletes’ rooms the police found traces of “heavier doping than meldonium” with syringes and “stimulants”.
The incident happened on April 12, during a training session of the Belarusians in the French La Temple-sur-Lot.
“I have been in professional sports for over 40 years and never came across anything like this,” said Belarus’ head coach Uladzimir Shantarovich after returning to Belarus.
“Previously I have only seen on television as security forces storm a den. Something similar happened now and in France. ”
“This event is definitely a provocation aimed at preventing the national rowing and canoeing team from participating in the Olympics. I think this behavior of the Paris Anti-Doping Agency unacceptable,” he told reporters.
According to yesterday’s statement of the Belarusian Canoe Association, information of ‘Le Monde’ “does not correspond to reality” and is simply “misleading for the reader.”
The association is now preparing an official statement, which it will spread through the media.
In the evening, in an interview with “Pressball” Shantarovich said that traces of meldonium were indeed found in five of our athletes’s tests.
“Two of them are Bahdanovich brothers. Another three – canoeist Maxim Pyatrou, canoeists Alyaksandr Lyapeshka and Alexander and Dzmitry Silchanka who are not part of the Olympic team. There is reports of “more serious doping” found in the guys’ tests.”
According to Shantarovich, these tests were taken by the French Anti-Doping Agency back in March.
“As far as I know, the meldonium concentration in all tests does not exceed the norms. The French Agency will figure out when the now banned drug entered the bodies of Belarusian athletes – before or after 1 January. Each case is investigated separately,” says the coach.
After the incident in France, the Belarusian national rowing and canoeing team was allowed to participate in the World Cup in Duisburg, Germany, where our team won ten medals.
