SOCHI, Russia -- A top German biathlete and an Italian bobsledder were kicked out of the Sochi Olympics on Friday in the first

SOCHI, Russia -- A top German biathlete and an Italian bobsledder were kicked out of the Sochi Olympics on Friday in the first doping cases of the Winter Games. Nike NFL Jerseys 2020 . Former two-time Olympic gold medallist Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine in both her "A" and "B" samples, the German Olympic Committee said. The committee said she has been removed from the team and was being sent home. Sachenbacher-Stehle -- winner of two golds and three silvers in cross-country skiing at previous games -- blamed the positive test on a nutritional supplement and said she had never knowingly taken performance-enhancing drugs. "I am going through the worst nightmare that you can imagine, because I am unable to explain at all how there could be a positive test," she said in a statement. The Italian Olympic Committee, meanwhile, announced that bobsledder William Frullani was ejected from the games after testing positive for the banned stimulant dimetylpentylamine in the athletes village on Tuesday. Frullani, who had not competed yet, asked for a backup test that "confirmed the positive result, resulting in his exclusion from the Italian delegation," CONI said. The IOC declined to comment, citing confidentiality of ongoing anti-doping procedures. Sachenbacher-Stehle, who switched from cross-country to biathlon two years ago, competed in five events in Sochi but did not win any medals. Her best results were two fourth-place finishes, in the 12.5K mass start and the mixed relay. The 33-year-old German was tested after Mondays mass start race. Her backup sample was tested on Friday and confirmed the original finding. Her expulsion from the games was announced after she appeared before an IOC disciplinary commission on Friday afternoon. Sachenbacher-Stehle had been left off Germanys top-ranked womens relay team before Friday nights 4x6-kilometre relay. The team finished 11th. Franziska Hildebrand, who skied the third leg for Germany, said the team was told about the doping case earlier in the day. "We are totally shocked," Hildebrand said. Methylhexanamine is classified on the World Anti-Agencys prohibited list as a "specified stimulant," a group of substances that are more susceptible to inadvertent use and can carry reduced penalties. Sachenbacher-Stehle said she had her nutritional supplements checked in a lab or cleared by the manufacturer before the games. "At the moment I can only assure all involved that I never knowingly took banned substances," she said. Any further sanctions outside of the Olympics are up to the International Biathlon Union. The German could face a ban from the sport for a year or more. Michael Vesper, chief of German Olympic body DOSB, said athletes have been repeatedly warned about supplements that contain methylhexanamine. "The DOSB strives for a doping-free sport and a zero tolerance policy," he said in a statement. "We strive only for cleanly achieved performances. Every doping case is first of all a big disappointment. But it is also proof that that control system works." Stefan Schwarzbach, spokesman for the German biathlon and cross-country teams, said a contaminated supplement is a possible explanation for Sachenbacher-Stehles positive test. "We are not sure if its really from an unproven, or dirty, supplement," he said. " We really dont know." "It really seems that it is a mistake," Schwarzbach added. "And she has to handle the consequences." As a cross-country skier, Sachenbacher-Stehle won gold medals in the team sprint at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 4x5K relay at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She won silver medals in Salt Lake, Vancouver and at the 2006 Turin Games. The only previous German athlete sanctioned for doping at a Winter Olympics was hockey player Alois Schloder, who was disqualified from the 1972 Sapporo Games after a positive test for ephedrine. German-born cross-country skier Johan Muehlegg was competing for Spain in 2002 when he was caught doping and stripped of one of his three gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics. In the Italian case, CONI told The Associated Press that it believed Frullani, a former decathlete, purchased the stimulant on the Internet from the United States, since it is not available in Italy. Dimethylamphetamine is also classified as a "specified stimulant" on the WADA list. Samuele Romanini will replace Frullani as the brakeman for the four-man bobsled race, which begins Saturday. The IOC is conducting 2,453 drug tests in Sochi, a record for the Winter Games. The IOC also stores Olympic doping samples for 10 years to allow for retesting when new methods become available. MLB Jerseys . Cox started the season with San Francisco, but was released by the team on Nov. 12 before being signed by Seattle, where he appeared in two games and tallied three tackles before being released on Dec. Nike NBA Jerseys 2020 . "If we only consider this season," Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said, "there is just one club in Manchester -- and its ours. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/ . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams.GLASGOW -- Come Monday morning when her running rivals are still focused on rest and recovery, Lanni Marchant will pull out her laptop and begin researching her latest case. The 30-year-old from London, Ont., is both Canadas greatest female marathoner and a practising criminal lawyer. And work doesnt stop for the Commonwealth Games where Marchant raced to fourth place in the marathon Sunday. "I actually picked up a case when I was here, I got an email about an appellate case that another law firm wants me to write for them. Hopefully Ill get the trial transcript Monday," Marchant said, moments after crossing the finish line. Marchant completed the two-loop course that started and ended at Glasgow Green, a 15th-century park on the bank of the River Clyde, in two hours 31 minutes 14 seconds. Kenyans finished 1-2. Flomena Daniel crossed in 2:26.45 for gold, and teammate Caroline Kilel was second in 2:27.10. Australias Jess Trengove won the bronze in 2:30.12. Australias Michael Shelley won the mens race in 2:11.15. Marchant, whose law firm is in Chattanooga, Tenn., is a big believer in balance. She unwinds after a hard run with a beer. And even though her racing schedule has her criss-crossing the globe, shes mastered the ability to combine work and running. "I just do my work from abroad," said Marchant. "A lot of what I do is appellate cases (court appeals), so I can do the research and write the brief from anywhere in the world. As long as I have an email connection, I can mail it back to them." Marchant was the only Canadian racing the marathon, which kicked off the track and field competition in Glasgow. She could have passed on Scotland and picked a race with better weather, a better field and better prize money (read: any prize money), but believed that soaking up the experience of her first multi-sport Games was important. "I want as much experience lining up, with the pressure, wearing the Team Canada bib, being ranked fairly well, so that when I line up hopefully in Rio (2016 Olympics) its not going to be a shock to the system. "And at the end of the day, Im doing this because I want to represent Canada and I want as many opportunities as I can, especially with the times Ive not been able to, Im not going to turn down the chances again." Marchant, a former steeplechaser at Michigan State and one of seven kids in her family, made a major breakthrough when she broke Sylvia Rueggers 28-year-old Canadian womens marathon record last year in Toronto, running 2:28.00. She said life changed for her after that day. "Im not used to people really caring what I do in my day to day life and wanting me to blog more. Im not used to that. And lot of the races I do back in Canada, it seems everybody will recognize me. "Its a little bit surreal, but I enjoy it and Im happy to be out there to help garner attention for our sport." Her mom Mary Lou, a figure skating coach and choreographer, has even shared a bit of her celebrity spotlight. "She joined the London Pacers, a local masters running group and theyre sending the e-mail out about how to join, and were like Wait, are you Lannis mom? So she feels kind of important which is fun," Marchant said. Nike NCAA Jerseys 2020. She also relishes being a role model, saying a big motivating factor is inspiring young women to run. "We had a dry spell for a while for long distance running for women in Canada, so Im trying to show them that if you stick with it, you get out there, you can run," she said. "There are probably a million people out there who could run faster than me." There were only three on Sunday in a race that was all about placing rather than time. Marchant, her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail under a red cap, ran a tactically smart race that for a while had her within striking distance of a bronze medal. Namibias Helalia Johannes was running in third but fading badly. Trengove would pass both and Marchant and Johannes around the 35-kilometre mark for bronze. "I was trying to (catch third), but just around 37-K my calf started to cramp up on me a little, so I had to make sure and run it smart so I didnt completely cramp up," Marchant said. "So when the Aussie caught me, I kind of figured the medal was out of contention." "But I wasnt going to give up. And I ended up catching fourth." The calf cramp wasnt nearly so severe as the debilitating leg cramp that saw her famously stab herself in the leg with a safety pin while running the world championship marathon in 2013 -- another runner insisted it would relieve her severe cramp; it didnt. "It was just bad enough that I couldnt get on my toe," she said of Sundays leg issue. "So you cant really respond to someone (Trengove) surging past you. But other than that, I was happy with it. I cant really complain." Marchant ran most of the race alone after a lead pack of eight runners broke apart between 15 and 20 kilometres. "Lanni had the composure to just lay back and hold on to a rhythm. Played it pretty well," said Canadian distance coach Dave Scott-Thomas. "Lannis got the temperament and bravery to just go for it, and get the most out of what shes got, and then the intelligence to play it well tactically." Crowds, in some places a dozen deep, cheered on the athletes, creating a racket by banging on the signage that lined the fences along the route. The runners crossed the River Clyde four times and also negotiated their way through cobbestoned city streets that were made slick by the light rain that fell for much of the morning. Shelley, meanwhile, improved on the silver medal he won at the Games in New Delhi four years ago, pulling away from the lead group of runners with four kilometres to go. Stephen Chemlany of Kenya was second in 2:11.58 and Abraham Kiplimo of Uganda earned the bronze in 2:12.23. "I just decided to stay relaxed on the first lap, not go too hard too early," said Shelley, who buried his face in an Australian flag after his victory. "I dont like the rain too much either, but its good to come back and defend a silver medal and go one ever better." ' ' '