By Gao Peng

    TURIN, Feb. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has launched a probe into Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva over doping offense and provisionally banned her from the Turin winter Olympics.

    "Russian athlete Olga Pyleva has been given a provisional suspension following a positive dope test," Anne Martin, an IOC communications official, told Xinhua over a telephone interview on Thursday.

    Martin said that she was not clear, at this moment, about what kind of substances had been found in Pyleva's sample, but a disciplinary investigation is already under way.

    Pyleva, who won the silver medal in the women's 15 km individual biathlon on Monday, was withdrawn early in the morning from the 7.5km sprint race.

    Pyleva, the gold medalist in the 10 km pursuit at the 2002 SaltLake City Games, would be thrown out of the Turin Games if she was found guilty.

    The IOC has conducted 380 tests since the athletes' village opened Jan. 31. A total of 1,200 samples are being tested at the Feb. 10-26 Games, a 72 percent increase over the number in Salt Lake City, where there were seven doping cases total. Enditem