Russian biathlete Margarita Vasilyeva, centre, is facing a suspension ©RBU

Russian biathlete Margarita Vasilyeva could be ruled out of the upcoming International Biathlon Union (IBU) World Championships after she missed three drugs tests in a 10-month period.

Vasilyeva, the fourth highest-ranked Russian woman on the IBU World Cup standings, is facing a ban of up to two years.

The Russian Biathlon Union, which remains a provisional member of the IBU following the country's doping scandal, confirmed the 27-year-old had missed three tests in 10 months.

In a post on Instagram, Vasilyeva claimed she had issues with inputting her whereabouts information into the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System owing to last-minute changes in her schedule and confusion over time differences.

According to Sport Express, she has also written to the IBU to plead for leniency after insisting she had not deliberately missed the tests.

"Due to the fact that I have no experience with filling out such a complex route in the system, I could not figure out how to fill it correctly," she wrote in a letter to the IBU, published by Sport Express.

"Please give me another chance to advise me on completing difficult journeys."

Margarita Vasilyeva claimed she had not deliberately missed the tests in a post on Instagram ©Instagram
Margarita Vasilyeva claimed she had not deliberately missed the tests in a post on Instagram ©Instagram

Missing three scheduled tests within a 12-year period is considered an anti-doping rule violation and carries a punishment of a suspension of between one and two years.

The IBU has not yet commented on the case but could ban Vasilyeva, a decision which may exclude her from the World Championships in Östersund in Sweden from March 6 to 17.

Vasilyeva has become the latest Russian biathlete to be embroiled in a doping case.

The Russian biathlon team has been consistently accused of widespread doping and an investigation was launched by Austrian police into five Russian biathletes and five team officials for anti-doping rule violations connected to last year's World Championships in Hochfilzen in December.

Austrian authorities are also looking into suggestions the previous IBU leadership of President Anders Besseberg and secretary general Nicole Resch accepted bribes to cover-up failed tests from Russian athletes.

Both officials deny any wrongdoing, with a report into the allegations expected to be published soon.

The IBU declined to comment when contacted by insidethegames.