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Hosts Italy are facing embarassment days before the start of the Winter Olympics after biathlete Rebecca Passler tested positive for banned substances.<\/b><\/p>\n
Passler has been provisionally suspended by Italy’s anti-doping agency (Nado) after she tested positive for letrozole and methanol.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Passler, 24, achieved her best result at the 2024 IBU World Championships with 11th in the women’s 4x6km relay.<\/p>\n
She had been set to make her Olympic debut at her home Games but that is now in doubt.<\/p>\n
BBC Sport has contacted the Italian Olympic Committee for comment.<\/p>\n
Passler’s uncle, Johann, is a former two-time biathlon world champion and won two bronze medals at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n