GENEVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Ice hockey player Ralfs Freibergs of Latvia became the eighth player and third hockey player failing doping tests at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee Friday announced that the 23-year-old provided a urine sample on Feb. 22 whose A and B samples indicated the presence of a prohibited substance.

The IOC decided to disqualify Freibergs from the men's ice hockey play-offs quarterfinals where Latvia lost to Canada 2-1 on Feb. 19.

The player was retroactively kicked out of the games and his diploma for placing 8th would be withdrawn.

Another Latvian, Vitalijs Pavlovs, was disqualified in Sochi after testing positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine following the loss to Canada.

Swedish star Nicklas Backstrom was suspended from the Olympic final against Canada after a positive test for pseudoephdrine, which was contained in an allergy medication. He was allowed to keep his silver medal.

The IOC carried out a record 2,812 tests during the Feb. 7-23 Olympic Winter Games.

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