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Speedskating-Russian Kulizhnikov tests positive for Meldonium

MOSCOW, March 18 (Reuters) - Five-times world champion Pavel Kulizhnikov is one of three Russian speedskaters who have tested positive for the banned drug Meldonium, the International Skating Union (ISU) said. The B samples of Olympic short track gold medalist Semion Elistratov and 2015 European short track champion Ekaterina Konstantinova also tested positive. "The results of the B sample do not change anything for us," Russian Skating Union (RSU) president Alexei Kravtsov told the R-Sport news agency on Friday. "We are still confident that our athletes are not guilty and we will defend them." Meldonium was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances on Jan. 1. Kulizhnikov, 21, served a suspension for doping violations between 2012 and 2014 and a second positive test could leave him facing a life ban. (Reporting by Dmitriy Rogovitskiy, editing by Ed Osmond)