EXPLAINER: The drug behind Russia’s Olympic skating case

By GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer

BEIJING (AP) — The first big doping case at the games involves one of its biggest stars. And it seems far from straightforward, not least because she is just 15 years old and has protections as a minor in the anti-doping rule book. The country at the center of it? Russia. Again. The medication trimetazidine is a metabolic agent that helps prevent angina attacks and treats the symptoms of vertigo, according to the European Union’s medicines agency. It can increase blood flow efficiency and improve endurance. The International Testing Agency, based in Switzerland, is handling the case.