Russian athletics hit by first meldonium cases

Russia on Monday announced four doping test failures for meldonium in athletics as the country battles to be reinstated in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

They are the first known cases of the banned drug in Russian athletics in a potential blow to efforts to overturn an International Association of Athletics Federations suspension from international competition because of doping scandals.

The athletics federation did not name the four athletes who tested positive. It was unclear whether sprinter Nadezhda Kotlyarova, who admitted to taking the banned drug on Sunday, was among them.