List of athletes suspended from Olympic starts in Torino

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19-year-old Russia skier Natalya Matveeva has been suspended from the Olympics for five days. As a statement released by the International Ski Federation says, the reason is excessive level of hemoglobin in her blood. Apart from Matveeva, seven other athletes were hit with a five-day “start prohibition” on the same reasons.

The list of athletes banned from the start includes Sean Crooks (Canada), Jean Marc Gaillard (France), Leif Zimmermann (USA), Sergey Dalidovich (Byelorussia), Alexander Latzukin (Byelorussia), Natalya Matveeva (Russia), Kikkan Randall (USA), Evi Sachenbacher (Germany).

The high level of hemoglobin is not a violation by itself. The results of the tests can be proved by personal features of the athletes’ organisms. But it should be taken into account that excessive level of hemoglobin can be a result of taking prohibited stimulators.

The five-day term by Matveeva will end not later than February 13, so the Russian skier will skip only one race.