Russian curler’s doping hearing cancelled: CAS

The Court of Arbitration for Sport cancelled a hearing into the doping case of a Russian Olympic curler on Thursday, hours after reports said he had declined to appear.

"In the matter International Olympic Committee and World Curling Federation v Alexander Krushelnitsky, all parties have requested the Anti-doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport to cancel the hearing today," a statement said.

A decision in the case will be announced later and will be based on written submissions, CAS said.

Krushelnitsky, bronze medallist in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics mixed doubles curling, earlier told Russian media it was "stupid to deny" failing two drugs tests. "I am ready for the appropriate verdict, which in such cases is predictably identical," Krushelnitsky said in a statement published by RIA Novosti.

‘Useless and pointless’

"Due to this, having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to pull out of the holding of the CAS hearing over my situation. I consider that under the current rules it is useless and pointless," he said.

Krushelnitsky's A and B urine samples both showed the presence of the banned substance meldonium, the same drug which led to a 15-month ban for Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.

His case has been controversial as he was one of 168 athletes who passed rigorous testing to compete as a neutral in Pyeongchang, where Russia are banned following the discovery of systemic doping.