NORDIC SKIING-THREE WOMEN SKIERS FAIL BLOOD TESTS

TOBIACH, Italy, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Three women Nordic skiers have
failed dope tests carried out during World Cup races in northern
Italy, news agency ANSA reported on Sunday.

It said the three, two Norwegians and a Ukranian, were found to have
higher-than-permitted levels of red blood cells in a test carried out
on Saturday morning in Tobiach.

They did not compete in Saturday's five-km cross-country
event.

It said all three women were found to have haematocrit levels of above
16.5, the highest level permitted by the International Ski Federation.

One of the Norwegians was later named as Maj Helen Sorkmo, who came
17th in an event in Milan on December 8, ANSA said. Her haematocrit
level was three times the permitted level, ANSA said, quoting the
Norwegian ski federation.

World Cup officials neither confirmed nor denied the
report.

Banned performance enhancing drugs including the substance
erythropoeitin, which was at the root of the doping scandal during
this year's Tour de France cycling race, artificially boost the level
of red blood cells in the body.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady