Russia are bracing themselves for Paralympic doping failures for meldonium ©Getty Images

Russian Paralympic Committee (RPC) officals are bracing themselves for some of their biggest athletes failing doping tests for meldonium as the deluge of positive test results shows no sign of slowing.

More than 100 athletes worldwide have now tested positive for the recently banned product.

Eleven Russian Olympians have now been named as having failed, including tennis superstar Maria Sharapova and four-time world swimming champion Yuliya Efimova. 

RPC President Vladimir Lukin is expecting some of Russia's Paralympic athletes to also be caught up in the crisis.

"Regretfully, I cannot guarantee the Paralympic team would not have any excesses - we live in the same environment," the official told Russian news agency TASS.

"Paralympic athletes work and train under the conditions our ‘senior brothers’ have, so to say.

"Many of them have the same coaches, sometimes they use the same training facilities, the same doctors.

"Thus, it is impossible to say we may guarantee a sealed environment for ourselves."

Maria Sharapova is among numerous Russian Olympians to have failed drugs test for meldonium this year ©Getty Images
Maria Sharapova is among numerous Russian Olympians to have failed drugs test for meldonium this year ©Getty Images

Russia have enjoyed a period of rapid growth in their Paralympic fortunes in recent years.

They won 30 Paralympic gold medals, 28 silvers and 22 bronze at Sochi 2014 to finish with a total haul of 80 medals, 65 more than any other country.

They also finished in their best ever position of second on the Summer Paralympic medals table at London 2012, winning 36 gold, 38 silver and 28 bronze.

"We are working very actively." Lukin added.

"We are doing everything to make sure there is no doping in the Paralympic sports - but there are no absolute guarantees."

Developed in Lativa, meldonium was moved from the monitored to the prohibited list by WADA due to “evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance”.

Although also prescribed as a prescription drug, meldonium was reportedly used by Soviet troops fighting in the Afghanistan War to boost their endurance.

"We are aware of the number of meldonium positives coming back in other sports," an International Paralympic Committee spokesperson told insidethegames today.

"The IPC has sent letters to all National Paralympic Committees reminding them to inform their athletes that,  since January 1, 2016, meldonium has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibited list."