Vorganov hoping to return to racing following Meldonium amnesty

Eduard Vorganov is targeting his return to racing after it was announced earlier this week that some athletes who tested positive for Meldonium could have their suspensions overturned. According to Russian news agency TASS, Vorganov has made inquiries with the UCI regarding the levels of the drug.

Following a raft of Meldonium positives, including high-profile cases such as Maria Sharapova, WADA said that it was possible that athletes who had taken Meldonium prior to the ban coming into place may still have had it in their system come January. They then made the recommendation that athletes who showed levels of 15 microgram per millilitre (15 ug/ml) or less in a test taken before March 1 would mean that they could have their suspension overturned by the responsible anti-doping authoritiy.

Vorganov’s positive test was taken on January 14, well within the window given by WADA, however he was never made aware of the level of Meldonium in the system. "Neither he (Vorganov), nor the Russian Cycling Federation have information on the discovered volume (of Meldonium's concentration)," Vorganov’s coach Alexander Tolkachev told TASS.

"He made an inquiry via his lawyer with the UCI and we do not know how long it would take them to reply. He wants to return as he is a real professional.”

Vorganov is the only cyclist to have tested positive for the drug, which is often used as a heart medication. He was suspended by the UCI after the positive test and has not raced since. It’s not clear how long the process would be but if he was cleared then he would be free to race immediately.

WADA took the unprecedented step to offer limited amnesty for athletes who tested positive for the drug after acknowledging that the studies that would definitively show how long it takes the body to rid itself of all of the drug are incomplete. The recommendations were made based on preliminary data, but the athletes still could be subject to bans if the final data is different.