Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics

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The Cross-country skiing events at the 2002 Winter Olympics were marred by drug problems. 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 with 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 medals from the 2002 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.

Contents

1 Men's events

1.1 20 km (10km + 10km) pursuit
1.2 15 km classical
1.3 50 km classical
1.4 30 km freestyle mass start
1.5 1.5 km sprint
1.6 4 × 10 km relay

2 Women's events

2.1 10 km (5 km + 5 km) pursuit
2.2 10 km classical
2.3 30 km classical
2.4 15 km freestyle mass start
2.5 1.5 km sprint
2.6 4 × 5 km relay

3 External links

Men's events

20 km (10km + 10km) pursuit

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Thomas Alsgaard (NOR)	49:48.9
Gold	Frode Estil (NOR)	49:48.9
Bronze	Per Elofsson (SWE)	49:52.9

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

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Andrus Veerpalu (EST)	37:07.4
Silver	Frode Estil (NOR)	37:43.4
Bronze	Jaak Mae (EST)	37:50.8

This event marked the first Olympic medals at the Winter Games for Estonia.

50 km classical

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Mikhail Ivanov (RUS)	2:06:20.8
Silver	Andrus Veerpalu (EST)	2:06:44.5
Bronze	Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset (NOR)	2:08:41.5

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

30 km freestyle mass start

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Christian Hoffmann (AUT)	1:11:31.0
Silver	Mikhail Botvinov (AUT)	1:11:32.3
Bronze	Kristen Skjeldal (NOR)	1:11:42.7

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.

1.5 km sprint

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Tor Arne Hetland (NOR)	2:56.9
Silver	Peter Schlickenrieder (GER)	2:57.0
Bronze	Cristian Zorzi (ITA)	2:57.2

4 × 10 km relay

Medal	Team	Time
Gold	Norway (Anders Aukland, Frode Estil, Kristen Skjeldal, Thomas Alsgaard)	1:32:45.5
Silver	Italy (Fabio Maj, Giorgio di Centa, Pietro Piller Cottrer,Cristian Zorzi)	1:32:45.8
Bronze	Germany (Jens Filbrich, Andreas Schlütter, Tobias Angerer, René Sommerfeldt)	1:33:34.5

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

Women's events

10 km (5 km + 5 km) pursuit

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Beckie Scott (CAN)	25:09.9
Silver	Katerina Neumannova (CZE)	25:10.0
Bronze	Viola Bauer (GER)	25:11.1

Olga Danilova surprisingly beat Larissa Lazutina with Scott taking third in a close finish for Canada's first ever cross-country skiing Olympic medal. When Danilova and Lazutina were stripped of their medals (in 2004 and 2003 respectively), Scott received a belated gold medal and Neumannova and Bauer moved up into medal positions.

10 km classical

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Bente Skari (NOR)	28:05.6
Silver	Julija Tchepalova (RUS)	28:09.9
Bronze	Stefania Belmondo (ITA)	28:45.8

Bente Skari came from behind to beat the favourite Russians Danilova and Tchepalova in the last kilometers. After Danilova was disqualified in the IOC 2004 decision, Tchepalova moved up to silver and Belmondo to the bronze medal position.

30 km classical

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Gabriella Paruzzi (ITA)	1:30:57.1
Silver	Stefania Belmondo (ITA)	1:31:01.6
Bronze	Bente Skari (NOR)	1:31:36.3

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

Medal	Athlete	Time
Gold	Stefania Belmondo (ITA)	39:54.4
Silver	Katerina Neumannová (CZE)	40:01.3
Bronze	Julija Tchepalova (RUS)	40:02.7

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.

1.5 km sprint

4 × 5 km relay

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

External links

[IOC (...) annul(s) the results of (...) Lazutina from the (...) Salt Lake City (...) Games (...)] – IOC press release, 29 June 2003
[IOC Executive Board disqualifies Muehlegg and Danilova from the Salt Lake City Games] – IOC press release, 28 February 2004

Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics

1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006

at the 2002 Winter Olympics (Salt Lake)

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