Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk charged over meldonium doping case
Mykhailo Mudryk faces a Football Association charge after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, joining other high-profile athletes in doping cases.
Meldonium, banned by WADA since 2016, is a cardiovascular drug originally developed in Latvia in the 1970s.
It enhances blood flow and oxygen uptake, potentially improving endurance and recovery—advantages that drew athletes to use it.
Why is meldonium banned?
Research shows meldonium can boost endurance, speed up recovery, and sharpen mental focus. WADA added it to the Prohibited List after detecting widespread use to gain an unfair performance edge.
The Mudryk case
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has been charged by the Football Association after testing positive for meldonium in a routine urine test last year. He was provisionally suspended in December, missing five matches.
Mudryk, 24, insists the result was unexpected and maintains he has never knowingly taken banned substances. He has not played for club or country since November 2024.
Other notable cases
High-profile athletes who tested positive for meldonium include Maria Sharapova, boxer Alexander Povetkin, ice dancer Ekaterina Bobrova, and others across athletics and cycling. Positive tests have declined since the ban, with 70 cases reported worldwide in 2022.
“Meldonium’s endurance and recovery benefits led to its ban, and high-profile positives—from Sharapova to Mudryk—underscore the ongoing fight against doping.”
This topic was reported by BBC Sport.
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