Two Olympic athletes have lost the chance to compete in their first Winter Games events after blood tests returned high haemoglobin levels.
The international ski federation says Nordic combined athlete Niyaz Nabeev of Russia and Estonian cross-country skier Kaspar Kokk won't be allowed to compete from Febraury the 12th to the 16th after the pre-competition blood tests.
Nabeev was given a start prohibition to protect his health which meant he missed this morning's Normal Hill Nordic Combined event, won by France's Jason Lamy Chappuis. Nabeev is due to compete in the Long Hill Nordic Combined at the end of next week.
Kokk will miss tomorrow's 15km cross country event and will next be eligible to compete in the men's individual sprint on Thursday.
The athletes will need to pass a fresh test before they can be cleared to compete.
Athletes with high haemoglobin levels are not necessarily doing anything wrong, but the international ski federation routinely suspends skiers with high levels as a precaution.
