Spanish figure skater Barquero tests positive for banned substance

FILE PHOTO: 2022 Beijing Olympics – Figure Skating – Pair Skating – Free Skating – Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China – February 19, 2022. Laura Barquero of Spain in action. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

Spanish figure skater Laura Barquero tested positive for a prohibited substance during the Beijing Winter Olympics, the International Testing Agency (ITA) said on Tuesday.

The ITA said Barquero returned an adverse analytical finding for a metabolite of Clostebol, which is on the prohibited list of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The sample was collected under the testing authority of the International Olympic Committee in an in-competition anti-doping control on Feb. 18 during the pairs skating short program.

“The athlete has been informed of the case. She has the right to request the analysis of the B-sample,” the ITA said in a statement, adding the matter will be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The 20-year-old Barquero and her partner Marco Zandron finished 11th in the pairs skating short program.

The highest-profile doping story at the Games concerned 15-year-old Russian figure skating team gold medalist Kamila Valieva who was allowed to compete in the singles event after news emerged of a failed doping test at her national championships in December.

Ukrainian bobsledder Lidiia Hunko, Iranian Alpine skier Hossein Saveh-Shemshaki and Ukrainian cross-country skier Valentyna Kaminska tested positive for prohibited substances during the Beijing Games.