UPDATE 2-Olympics-Russian Terenteva tests positive, reprimanded

* First doping case in Vancouver

* Terenteva tests positive for drugs, reprimanded

(adds details, quotes)

By Karolos Grohmann

VANCOUVER, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russian ice hockey player Svetlana Terenteva became the first athlete to test positive at the Vancouver Olympics but escaped a ban as she took the substance before the Olympic period, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday.

Terenteva used a light stimulant contained in an over-the-counter nose spray that is not banned in out-of-competition tests but was still in her body when tested in Vancouver ahead of the Feb. 12-28 Games, IOC Vice President Thomas Bach said.

"This is the first doping case for Vancouver," Bach told an IOC session.

"This case concerns an athlete who took a light stimulant even before the period of the Games, a light stimulant which is usually not prohibited out of competition but during the Games."

The IOC said in a statement she had tested positive for tuaminoheptane, a prohibited substance `in competition' but not `out of competition' on Feb. 6 in a urine sample.

"During the hearing, the athlete admitted that she had used Rhinofluimucil under prescription to cure a bad head cold in January, but that she had stopped using it on Feb. 4 2010, as she knew the substance would be prohibited during the period of the Olympic Games, starting on Feb. 4 2010," it said.

The IOC said the prohibited substance would not have affected her performance as it would have been completely out of her system by the time of her team's first game on Feb. 14.

This is her first anti-doping rule violation.

"This makes this case very special because she took it outside the period of the Games but it was still in the body during the Games period.

She was very open and cooperative at the end of the disciplinary commission, (and said) that there was a violation of the rules," Bach said.

Bach said the commission chose to reprimand the athlete, considering it a "very special case".

"With regard to the consequences we thought that it would be fair to issue a reprimand for this special case rather than sending the athlete home and disqualifying her which seemed too severe in this very special case," he said.

(Editing by Jon Bramley, To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)