Russia’s Polina Frolova has been banned for four years by the International Orienteering Federation after testing positive for prohibited substance meldonium ©WSOC 2017

Russia’s Polina Frolova has been banned for four years by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) after testing positive for prohibited substance meldonium.

The IOF has also disqualified a number of Frolova's results, including her relay and sprint relay victories at the 2017 European Ski Orienteering Championships (ESOC) in Finnish town Imatra in February and five podium finishes at the 2017 World Ski Orienteering Championships (WSOC) in Russian city Krasnoyarsk in March. 

Frolova won relay gold at the WSOC and also claimed silvers in the sprint relay, sprint and middle-distance events and bronze in the long-distance competition.

Following the ESOC sprint relay on February 8, Frolova was selected for an in-competition doping test.

She provided a urine sample which upon analysis proved to contain heart disease drug meldonium.

This constituted an anti-doping rule violation in accordance with Article 2.1 of the IOF anti-doping rules, against which Frolova was charged with an offence.

The IOF Doping Hearing Panel has delivered its decision in the case following a hearing in Finland’s capital Helsinki last month.

The disqualification of Frolova’s results includes the forfeiture of any medals, titles, points and prizes.

Possible redistribution of awards is due to be discussed by the IOF Council at its meeting in Estonia from July 3 to 6.

Polina Frolova, right, pictured here with fellow Russian Andrey Lamov during the 2017 IOF World Ski Orienteering Championships in Krasnoyarsk ©WSOC 2017
Polina Frolova, right, pictured here with fellow Russian Andrey Lamov during the 2017 IOF World Ski Orienteering Championships in Krasnoyarsk ©WSOC 2017

The IOF, Frolova, the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) each have the right to appeal the decision of the Doping Hearing Panel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). 

"Although this is a difficult day for the IOF, as the ruling is the first World Anti-Doping Code rules violation within our area of jurisdiction, it also shows the IOF commitment to protecting the clean athletes in our sport," IOF President Leho Haldna said.

"It shows that our commitment to testing, to find those who try to get ahead via doping, is effective."

Three other results of Frolova at the ESOC have been disqualified, comprising her fourth-place finish in the sprint event, fifth-place finish in the long-distance event and sixth-place finish in the middle-distance event.

Meldonium hit the headlines in March of last year when five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova of Russia announced she had tested positive for the substance at the Australian Open two months earlier.

Meldonium was only added to the WADA banned list on January 1, 2016.

It was moved from the monitored to the prohibited list by WADA due to "evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance".