Polish cross-country skier tested positive at Vancouver 2010

POLAND'S cross-country skier Kornelia Marek tested positive for a banned substance during the Winter Olympics last month in what is the first serious doping case of Vancouver 2010.

POSITIVE TEST; Kornelia Marek of Poland (l) tested positive for banned substance in the first major doping case of Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics (Getty Images)

The Polish national committee have confirmed that her A sample, taken following her participation in the 4x5km relay even on February 25, tested positive for EPO.

Poland, with Marek in the team, finished sixth in the women's 4x5km relay and ninth in the team sprint.

The 24-year-old came 11th in the women's individual 30km mass start and 35th in the 15km pursuit.

"Her B sample will be tested on March 12 at the Olympic anti-doping lab in Richmond, Canada at her request," the Polish Olympic Committee said in a statement.

The International Olympic Committee said it had launched a disciplinary procedure.

As a first-time offender Marek would face a two-year ban if found guilty while the relay teams would be disqualified and stripped of their Vancouver results by the IOC.

Until Thursday, only two athletes had failed doping tests during Vancouver 2010 but both were only handed reprimands.

Slovakia ice hockey player Lubomir Visnovsky tested positive for a substance found in a common cold medicine and Russian ice hockey player Svetlana Terenteva was took a mild stimulant found in an over-the-counter nasal spray.