At the 2003 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Gainesville, Georgia in the United States, Ulegin initially won golds in the C-4 200 m and C-4 500 m events, and a silver in the C-2 500 m event. However, Ulegin tested positive for doping at those championships. A November 29, 2003 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Executive Committee meeting in Prague, Czech Republic confirmed that Ulegin's B-sample was positive like the A-test he gave in Gainesville. This led the ICF to issue a two-year suspension for Ulegin from September 14, 2003 to September 14, 2005. Ulegin became the second sprint canoeist stripped of his medals for doping either at the Summer Olympics or the World championships as a result. Ulegin served his two-year suspension, missing the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2005 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.