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At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Canadian Beckie Scott was favoured for a medal in the sprint nordic skiing event (new to the Games). She finished 4th (quel canadien), but surprised many by winning the Bronze medal in the 5km pursuit. It was the first nordic skiing medal ever for a North American woman.
“It feels great” Beckie said after the race “particularly since I’m the only medallist who’s clean.”
The response was swift from most: sour grape on Scott’s part. But in the last days of the Games, both Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova failed “blood doping” tests: they each had levels of oxygen in their blood, well beyond what a human body can achieve on its own (usually achieved by adding O2 to their blood via transfusion). Under the rules of (that) day, they lost their medals in that event, but kep the gold and silver from the 5km pursuit.
Sour grapes indeed.
Then it was revealed that Lazutina had failed blood doping tests at a world cup event prior to the Games, rendering all her results invalid. So Beckie now had a silver medal. Then she and the Canadian Olympic Committee, along with their Norwegian peers (2 Norge women finished 4th and 5th), went to The Court of Arbitration for Sport to have Danilova’s results also tossed out. The Olympic Charter specifically says that cheaters get tossed--and all their results are invalid. And the Court agreed.
So Beckie Scott, who had the chutzpah to speak the truth, is now the first North American to ever win a gold medal in nordic skiiing at the Olympics. No cheating either.
*does happy dance*
Full story here
“It feels great” Beckie said after the race “particularly since I’m the only medallist who’s clean.”
The response was swift from most: sour grape on Scott’s part. But in the last days of the Games, both Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova failed “blood doping” tests: they each had levels of oxygen in their blood, well beyond what a human body can achieve on its own (usually achieved by adding O2 to their blood via transfusion). Under the rules of (that) day, they lost their medals in that event, but kep the gold and silver from the 5km pursuit.
Sour grapes indeed.
Then it was revealed that Lazutina had failed blood doping tests at a world cup event prior to the Games, rendering all her results invalid. So Beckie now had a silver medal. Then she and the Canadian Olympic Committee, along with their Norwegian peers (2 Norge women finished 4th and 5th), went to The Court of Arbitration for Sport to have Danilova’s results also tossed out. The Olympic Charter specifically says that cheaters get tossed--and all their results are invalid. And the Court agreed.
So Beckie Scott, who had the chutzpah to speak the truth, is now the first North American to ever win a gold medal in nordic skiiing at the Olympics. No cheating either.
*does happy dance*
Full story here
