Hosts Italy are facing embarassment days before the start of the Winter Olympics after biathlete Rebecca Passler tested positive for banned substances.
Passler has been provisionally suspended by Italy’s anti-doping agency (Nado) after she tested positive for letrozole and methanol.
Letrozole is a drug used to lower oestrogen levels and is frequently used to treat breast cancer, while methanol is a toxic chemical not meant for human consumption.
It is the first positive test of an athlete since teams started arriving in Italy for the Milan-Cortina Games, which officially start on Friday.
Passler, 24, achieved her best result at the 2024 IBU World Championships with 11th in the women’s 4x6km relay.
She had been set to make her Olympic debut at her home Games but that is now in doubt.
BBC Sport has contacted the Italian Olympic Committee for comment.
Passler’s uncle, Johann, is a former two-time biathlon world champion and won two bronze medals at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.