'WBC probe into boxer Povetkin's doping case may take 2 months'

The World Boxing Council (WBC) probe on Russian heavyweight boxer Alexander Povetkin, whose Sample A and B tested positive for banned substance meldonium, may take up to two months, Andrei Ryabinsky, the head of the Boxing World promotion company said.

WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder of the United States (W36-L0, 35 KOs) was scheduled to hold his mandatory title bout against Povetkin (30-1, 22 KOs) on May 21 in Moscow, However, Russian boxer's doping Sample A had tested positive for meldonium shortly before the fight and the bout was suspended indefinitely. His Sample B also tested positive for the same substance.

"I personally believe that it [the investigation] will take a couple of months," Ryabinsky said in an interview with TASS on Friday.

Sample A revealed that the body system of the 36-year-old Russian fighter contained a low concentration of 0.07 micrograms. US sports channel ESPN later reported that before the positive doping result, Povetkin passed doping tests three times, namely on April, 7,8 and 11, and all his samples tested negative.

However, his doping test as of April 27 gave a positive indication for meldonium presence in his blood.

Wilder's management announced earlier it intended to demand from the Russian side a financial compensation of $4.6 million in case the bout was eventually cancelled.

The drug meldonium (mildronate) was included in the list of preparations banned by WADA from January 1, 2016. The presence of the meldonium substance in the athlete's blood during and between competitions is a violation of anti-doping rules. The substance belongs to S4 class on the WADA blacklist (hormones and metabolic modulators).

However, on April 13, WADA announced that the concentration of less than one microgram of meldonium in the body system of an athlete, whose doping tests were conducted before March 1, was acceptable.

Meldronate is a cardiovascular preparation freely available for purchase at pharmacies across Russia without doctor's prescription.

--IANS

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