Russian Curlers to Give Back Bronze Olympic Medals After Positive Doping Test

The Russian Curling Federation announced Wednesday that Alexander Krushelnitsky and Anastasia Bryzgalova will give back their bronze medals from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, after Krushelnitsky tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

Russian news agency TASS (via Reuters) first reported the news. 

Krushelnitsky—who helped lead the Olympic Athletes from Russia to a bronze-medal win over Norway on Feb. 13 in mixed doubles—tested positive for endurance-enhancer meldonium. 

"The court would have made the decision to strip us of our medals anyway," Russian Curling Federation spokeswoman Valentina Parinova told TASS. "But since we really admit the fact that his doping probe was positive for meldonium, we hand back the medals."

In December, the International Olympic Committee banned Russia's Olympic team from participating in the Pyeongchang Games following an investigation into the country's widespread doping scandal. 

Those who qualified to make the trip have been competing under the Olympic flag and were designated as Olympic Athletes from Russia.