More than 60 athletes, including Olympic medalists and world champions, have tested positive this year for meldonium, the performance-enhancing drug that Maria Sharapova admitted to using, according to antidoping officials.
Meldonium, originally developed in Latvia for heart patients, aids blood flow and is not approved for sale in the United States. It was placed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list this year after being monitored by agency in 2015.
“Regarding the number of Meldonium positives, I can tell you that it was at 60 adverse analytical findings (since January 1st) recorded on Monday and that number is growing,” Ben Nichols, a spokesman for the World Anti-Doping Agency, said in an email message.