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.
10 km Freestyle Pursuit Men:
| 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 Men:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold |  Andrus Veerpalu (EST) | 37:07.4 |
| Silver | Frode Estil (NOR) | 37:43.4 |
| Bronze | Jaak Mae (EST) | 37:50.8 |
First Olympic medals at the Winter Games for Estonia.
50 km Classical Men:
- Medals awarded Saturday, February 23
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold |  Mikhail Ivanov (RUS) | 2:06:20.8 |
| Silver | Andrus Veerpalu (EST) | 2:06:44.5 |
| Bronze | Odd-Björn 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 Men:
| 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 Men:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Tor Arne Hetland (NOR) | 2:56.9 |
| Silver |  Peter Schlickenrieder (GER) | 2:57.0 |
| Bronze | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png Cristian Zorzi (ITA) | 2:57.2 |
4 × 10 km Relay Men:
| Medal | Team | Time |
| Gold | Norway (Thomas Alsgaard, Kristen Skjeldal, Frode Estil, Anders Aukland) | 1:32:45.5 |
| Silver | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png Italy (Pietro Piller Cottrer, Cristian Zorzi, Giorgio di Centa, Fabio Maj) | 1:32:45.8 |
| Bronze | Germany (Tobias Angerer, Jens Filbrich, Andreas Schlütter, Rene Sommerfeldt) | 1:33:34.5 |
In the third-in-a-row close Italy-Norway finish, the Norwegians beat Italy, like in 1998.
5 km Freestyle Pursuit Women:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold |  Beckie Scott (CAN) | 25:09.9 |
| Silver |  Katerina Neumannová (CZE) | 25:10.0 |
| Bronze | Viola Bauer (GER) | 25:11.1 |
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:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Bente Skari (NOR) | 28:05.6 |
| Silver | Julija Tchepalova (RUS) | 28:09.9 |
| Bronze | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png Stefania Belmondo (ITA) | 28:45.8 |
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
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png Gabriella Paruzzi (ITA) | 1:30:57.1 |
| Silver | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png 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 Women:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png 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 Women:
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Julija Tchepalova (RUS) | 3:10.6 |
| Silver | Evi Sachenbacher (GER) | 3:12.2 |
| Bronze | Anita Moen (NOR) | 3:12.7 |
4 × 5 km Relay Women:
- Medals awarded Thursday, February 21
| Medal | Athlete | Time |
| Gold | Germany (Evi Sachenbacher, Viola Bauer, Manuela Henkel, Claudia Künzel) | 49:30.6 |
| Silver | Norway (Bente Skari, Hilde G. Pedersen, Marit Bjørgen, Anita Moen) | 49:31.9 |
| Bronze | Missing image Switzerland_flag_large.png Switzerland (Andrea Huber, Laurence Rochat, Brigitte Albrecht Loretan, Natascia Leonardi Cortesi) | 50:03.6 |
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 (...) (http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/media_centre/press_release_uk.asp?release=364) – IOC press release, 29 June 2003
- IOC Executive Board disqualifies Muehlegg and Danilova from the Salt Lake City Games (http://www.olympic.org/uk/news/media_centre/press_release_uk.asp?release=414) – IOC press release, 28 February 2004
et:Murdmaasuusatamine 2002. aasta taliolümpiamängudelnl:Olympische_Winterspelen_2002/Langlaufen