IOC reports first anti-doping violation at Vancouver Olympics

A female Russian hockey player was reprimanded yesterday but escaped a ban after testing positive for a stimulant in the first doping violation of the Vancouver Olympics.



The International Olympic Committee ( IOC) says Svetlana Terenteva tested positive in a pre-games control last Saturday for a \"light stimulant\" contained in a prescription cold medication.



The substance – tuaminoheptane is banned during competition, but not out of competition. It is found in inhalers and nasal sprays.



Terenteva, a 26-year-old forward who has played in four world championships, told the IOC she used the drug Rhinofluimucil in Russia to treat a head cold last month.



Normally, an athlete testing positive at the Olympics is automatically disqualified and expelled from the games.



However, IOC vice president Thomas Bach, who headed the panel, says this was a \"special case\" that necessitated leniency.



Terenteva remains eligible to compete at the games. Russia\'s first match is on Sunday.