Olympic Triathlete ’Tests Positive’ for EPO Ousted from the Games
One of the most recognised ITU triathletes from the Ukraine 3 x times Olympian Yuliya Yelistratova has tested positive for EPO and has now been suspended with immediate effect and will now not compete in the Individual Women’s race on Tuesday 27th July 2021.
The International Testing Agency (ITA) reports that a sample collected from Yuliya Yelistratova, a triathlete from Ukraine, has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for recombinant Erythropoietin (EPO).
The sample was taken in a competition test on June 5 at the European Triathlon Cup Dnipro in which Yelistratova, on her home turf, claimed victory ahead of Norway’s Solveig Lovseth, with GB’s Sophia Green finishing valiantly in 3rd place
Erythropoietin—more commonly known as EPO—is a type of blood doping that can help improve an athlete’s endurance. EPO stimulates the production of red blood cells in bone marrow and regulates the concentration of red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood. This is useful for athletes, since red blood cells shuttle oxygen to the cells, including muscle cells, enabling them to operate more effectively.
Yelistratova is a three times Olympian having appeared at Beijing 2008 (24th) London (DNF) and Rio 2016 (38th). Ranked 38th in the Triathlon World Rankings, Tokyo was to be the 32-year-old Ukrainian’s fourth Olympics
She took part in her first elite race 2004 and placed 9th at the European Cup in Alanya and at the age of 15, at her Elite debut, she effortlessly achieved a top-ten position among the world’s elite. In 2009, she won the European U23 Championships in Tarzo Revine.
Yelistratova can appeal the result but, in the given time, she will not be allowed to participate in the Olympic race.
