updated 10:38 a.m. ET Feb. 17, 2006

PRAGELATO, Italy - Two cross-country skiers received second five-day suspensions Thursday after failing another test for high hemoglobin levels, while a third skier was cleared to compete in the Turin Olympics.

Natalia Matveeva and Nikolai Pankratov, both of Russia, were retested Thursday and suspended again, the International Ski Federation said. The two could still compete next week — in the individual sprint races, women’s 30km mass start or the men’s 50km mass start — if they can somehow lower their levels in time.

Athletes with high hemoglobin levels aren’t necessarily doping or doing anything wrong. Some have naturally high levels, while others could be dehydrated or adjusting to high elevations. The cross-country venue sits at more than 5,000 feet.

But the test results raised the possibility of blood doping with synthetic hemoglobin or transfusions. As a precaution, FIS routinely suspends skiers who test for high hemoglobin.

World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound questioned the health checks, saying WADA would convene a meeting of experts after the games to examine the whole system.

“It’s too coincidental,” he said. “What are the odds of 12 healthy people, two days before the Olympic Games, having these levels naturally? You’ve got to say, ‘Hey, wait a minute, what’s wrong with this picture?”’

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Jean Marc Gaillard of France became the eighth of 12 skiers suspended last week to be cleared to race in the games after passing another blood test for hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that can increase endurance. Eight skiers — including two Americans and a German gold medalist — were suspended Thursday and four more Friday. Those who didn’t compete right away once their suspension was served could choose whether to be tested immediately or wait until closer to their event to give themselves extra time to reduce their hemoglobin levels.

The other seven skiers to be cleared so far are Kikkan Randall and Leif Zimmerman of the United States; Canada’s Sean Crooks; Evi Sachenbacher of Germany; Robel Teklemariam of Ethiopia; Alen Abramovic of Croatia; and Aleksandr Lasutkin of Belarus.

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Lasutkin’s countryman, Sergei Dolidovich, received a second five-day suspension Tuesday, keeping the two of them from starting the inaugural men’s team sprint event. Belarus could have found a replacement but didn’t have an available skier.

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