The Austrian Olympic Committee says cross-country skier Johannes Duerr has been suspended after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug. It is the fifth doping case of the Olympics and the first involving the blood-boosting drug EPO.

Duerr finished eighth in the men’s skiathlon on February 9th and was tested seven days later in Austria. He was due to compete in the 50-kilometer mass start on Sunday, the final event of the cross-country competition.

The Committee said that the althlete had been dropped from the team and sent home. It is the first serious doping offense reported during the games. EPO is used to boost red blood cells that carry oxygen to the muscles, increasing stamina and endurance.

The four other cases at the Games involved minor stimulants that can be found in food supplements.