Update (Dec 20, 09:47 CET): The FIG announced on December 20 that the results of the B sample of the two gymnasts who tested positive at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia, also contained the banned substance furosemide.

For the first time, the FIG made an official statement naming the athletes in question as Russia's Alina Kabayeva and Irina Chashchina. Irina Viner, Russian national team coach, had already admitted in the Russian media that her pupils had tested positive. The FIG, however, had refused to give any details on the gymnasts in question until the results of the B sample were known. No sanctions have been imposed yet. Kabayeva and Chashchina, who split all the gold and silver medals at this year's World Championships between them, now could face a two ban, starting the day of the positive A sample at the Goodwill Games. Kabayeva has not competed recently, citing a slight injury. Chashchina has kept busy on the competitive circuit at home and abroad, most recently winning the Gorenkova Memorial in her hometown of Omsk.

Update (Nov 16, 13:46 CET): Russian RG head coach Irina Viner says she will fight to the end for her two athletes Irina Chashchina and Alina Kabayeva, who were tested positive for the banned substance furosemide. At a press conference at Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Viner said she considers the two gymnasts to be victims rather then culprits. Though she is optimistic that Kabayeva and Chashchina will not be punished by the FIG, she would not rule out legal action if they were. "In order to protect my girls, I will go to the highest instance!

According to Viner, the gymnasts have received a message of support from Egle Abruzzini (ITA), the president of the FIG RG technical committee, but she feels not all FIG members are as sympathetic. She indirectly blamed FIG vice president Michel Leglise (FRA) for disclosing the names of the gymnasts to French newspaper "L' Equipe" and maintained Leglise had been "disappointed" that all of Kabayeva's previous tests had been negative. Kabayeva and Chashchina, who split all of the gold and silver medals at the October World Championships between them, claim they had been sold a fake version of their regular food supplement which contained furosemide without their knowledge.

Original article: Rhythmic World and European Champion Alina Kabayeva (RUS), who tested positive for the banned substance furosemide at the Goodwill Games in Brisbane in September, is confident about her immediate future in the sport. The 18-year-old told Russian newspaper Izvestia on Wednesday that despite the uproar the news had caused, she is confident "everything will be ok. This is just rubbish. My coach told me not to get upset. All the necessary documents have been sent to the International Gymnastics Federation. There are intelligent people working there and they will decide everything fairly.

The FIG had issued a press release during the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Ghent stating that two gymnasts had tested positive in their A samples for furosemide during the Goodwill Games, but had declined to give further details. The B sample has yet to be analysed. French sports newspaper "L'équipe" had been the first to name Kabayeva and her team mate Irina Chashchina. This was confirmed yesterday by Russian RG head coach Irina Viner.

Viner, who also serves as the vice president of the FIG RG technical committee, said her athletes had been taking a food supplement called "Hyper" which contained mild diuretics. When the gymnasts ran out of their supply of the supplement shortly before the Goodwill Games, the team physiotherapist restocked at a local pharmacy. According to Viner, the supplement sold there was fake and contained furosemide. Viner stated the gymnasts took the supplement for pre-menstrual syndrome.

masha