Illness Forces Biathlon Medalist Vilukhina to Miss Individual Race

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia, February 13 (R-Sport) – Russia’s Sochi Olympic biathlon silver medalist Olga Vilukhina is to miss Friday’s 15 kilometer individual race after falling ill, the Russian Biathlon Union said Thursday.

Vilukhina claimed Russia’s only biathlon medal in Sochi so far with silver in Sunday’s sprint behind Slovakia’s Anastasia Kuzmina. She then finished seventh in the pursuit Tuesday, despite competing with a cold.

Her coach Valery Ivanov said Vilukhina’s condition was improving, but that doping rules prevented her taking otherwise useful medication.

Vilukhina, 25, also won bronze in the pursuit at the 2012 world championships.