The Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004
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Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics

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2002 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiing

The winners of three races were disqualified after blood tests showed that three skiers had overly high red blood cell counts indicating the use of darbepoetin, a drug used to treat anemia. At the time, the drug was not specifically listed in the IOC's list of banned substances, but the Olympic rules generally prohibit doping of any kind, in accordance to its charter. After two years and several lawsuits in Olympic and Swiss courts, the skiers in question (Johann Mühlegg of Spain, and Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova of Russia) were stripped of all their Olympic medals from the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

See the external links below for the official IOC press releases containing detailed information of the doping cases and their resolution, including initial, intermediate, and final amended results. This article gives the final medalists as decided on by the IOC in early 2004.

10 km Freestyle Pursuit Men:

  1. Thomas Alsgaard (NOR) and Frode Estil (NOR)
  2. (no silver medal awarded, due to gold medal tie)
  3. Per Elofsson (SWE)

Johann Mühlegg won his second gold of the Games, dominating both parts of the pursuit race. Alsgaard and Estil tied for the silver medal. However, Mühlegg was disqualified by the IOC in February 2004, and so the Norwegians got the gold and Elofsson the bronze.

15 km Classical Men:

  1. Andrus Veerpalu (EST)
  2. Frode Estil (NOR)
  3. Jaak Mae (EST)

First Olympic medals at the Winter Games for Estonia.

50 km Classical Men:

Medals awarded Saturday, February 23
Mikhail Ivanov (RUS)
  • Andrus Veerpalu (EST)
  • Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset (NOR)

    • First-place finisher Mühlegg was disqualified after blood tests indicated the use of darbepoetin.

    30 km Freestyle Mass Start Men:

    1. Christian Hoffmann (AUT)
    2. Mikhail Botvinov (AUT)
    3. Kristen Skjeldal (NOR)

    Johann Mühlegg won his first and Spain's second ever Olympic winter gold, but was disqualified by the IOC in February 2004. This gave a much delayed Austrian double victory, and a bronze for veteran Skjeldal.

    Sprint Men:

    1. Tor Arne Hetland (NOR)
    2. Peter Schlickenrieder (GER)
    3. Cristian Zorzi (ITA)

    4 x 10 km Men:
    1. Norway
    2. Italy
    3. Germany

    In the third-in-a-row close Italy-Norway finish, the Norwegians beat Italy, like in 1998.

    5 km Freestyle Pursuit Women:

    1. Beckie Scott (CAN)
    2. Katerina Neumannová (CZE)
    3. Viola Bauer (GER)

    Danilova surprisingly beat Lazutina, and Scott won a close finish for the bronze; Canada's first cross-country skiing Olympic medal. After both Russians were later disqualified (in 2004, 2003, respectively) Scott and Canada ended up with their first Olympic gold instead.

    10 km Classical Women:

    1. Bente Skari (NOR)
    2. Julija Tchepalova (RUS)
    3. Stefania Belmondo (ITA)

    Bente Skari came from behind to beat the favourite Russians Danilova and Tchepalova in the last kilometers. Then Danilova was disqualified in the IOC 2004 decision, and so the runners-up advanced one step on the result list.

    30 km Classical Women:

    Medals awarded Sunday, February 24
    Gabriella Paruzzi (ITA)
  • Stefania Belmondo (ITA)
  • Bente Skari (NOR)

    • Russian skiers Lazutina, who finished first, and Danilova, who finished eighth, were disqualified after blood tests indicated the use of darbepoetin.

    15 km Freestyle Mass Start Women:

    1. Stefania Belmondo (ITA)
    2. Katerina Neumannová (CZE)
    3. Julija Tchepalova (RUS)

    After breaking a ski pole, the little Italian still managed to win the gold. Lazutina was disqualified in 2003, leading to Neumannova getting the silver and Tchepalova the bronze.

    Sprint Women:

    1. Julija Tchepalova (RUS)
    2. Evi Sachenbacher (GER)
    3. Anita Moen (NOR)

    4x5 km Women:

    Medals awarded Thursday, February 21
    Germany
  • Norway
  • Switzerland

    • The Russian team was disqualified and wasn't allowed to start, after Lazutina's blood tests indicated the use of darbepoetin.

    External links