Reports indicate that Russia has replaced its under-18 team over positive meldonium tests. The head coach even confirmed he lost his job.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned meldonium on January 1. Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova became the first high-profile athlete rocked by the drug when she failed a test during the Australian Open.
A Russian volleyball team pulled out of a tournament in February while the curling team also changed its roster.
Russia sells the drug over the counter and Eastern European countries prescribe it as a heart medication. Sharapova claims she has taken the drug for over a decade due to magnesium deficiency, heart problems, and diabetes in her family.
Russia takes the ice in the IIHF World U18 Championships in Grand Forks next Thursday against the United States.
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