Doping in XC skiing

[BullsFan22]

Good thing we can be certain the Russians are as clean as the driven snow as usual!

Why don’t you ask Martin Fourcade who is clean.

 

[frenchfry]

Why don’t you ask Martin Fourcade who is clean.

Of course any time suspicion is placed on a Russian athlete, the most logical reaction is to sling mud at everyone else.

Fourcade was pretty dominant, wasn't he. I really respect him for knowing to quit while still on top.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Golberg suddenly turning into a great distance skier and winning the Ski Tour in Scandinavia at the age of 29 is also pretty suspect.
Not a big fan of Bolshunov and him being coached by a convicted doper isn't a great look, to say the least. I find it hard to feel any sympathy for the Norwegians who always cry wolf when anyone but one of their countrymen wins in a dominant fashion. Not to mention cheering for a convicted doper like Johaug, who by now refuses to answer any questions about her ban.

 

[Sciatic]

Good thing we can be certain the Russians are as clean as the driven snow as usual!

Hmm, that’s a shaky foundation for these Olympics because the driven snow isn’t very clean with all the sand in it

 

[Norbea]

Golberg suddenly turning into a great distance skier and winning the Ski Tour in Scandinavia at the age of 29 is also pretty suspect.

What do you mean? Golberg has been a good allround skier his entire career.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

First failed test - for a PED, rather than coronavirus - in the Nordic sports in Beijing, as Ukraine's Valentyna Kamiska is provisionally suspended following an AAF.

Link (in French)

The test in question was on February 10th, in competition on the day of the 10km classic, and is positive for methylhexanamine and mesterolone. The latter being an anabolic steroid and the former being a common stimulant.

She's a veteran likely at her last Olympics, she switched from Belarus to Ukraine in 2018, and she has been to three Games, but never finished in the top 40 in either a World Cup, World Championship or Olympic event, so this is probably your classic case of small fry doping just to compete at the Games as much as anything else.

 

[glassmoon]

First failed test - for a PED, rather than coronavirus - in the Nordic sports in Beijing, as Ukraine's Valentyna Kamiska is provisionally suspended following an AAF.

Link (in French)

The test in question was on February 10th, in competition on the day of the 10km classic, and is positive for methylhexanamine and mesterolone. The latter being an anabolic steroid and the former being a common stimulant.

She's a veteran likely at her last Olympics, she switched from Belarus to Ukraine in 2018, and she has been to three Games, but never finished in the top 40 in either a World Cup, World Championship or Olympic event, so this is probably your classic case of small fry doping just to compete at the Games as much as anything else.

and probably also a classic case of small fish caught at the end of its career just to show the public that AD is working and the budget is justified...
(sorry... i'm a professional cynic when it comes to doping )

 

[Aragon]

It is also interesting that blood doping has been barely mentioned despite the (fragmentary) evidence that artificial boosting of RBC count gives a higher boost at moderate altitudes than at sea level.

One study indicates that Vo2Max is increased twice as much at 1700-1800 altitude after EPO treatment than Vo2Max at sea level after the same increase in hemoglobin count.

 

[Sciatic]

It is also interesting that blood doping has been barely mentioned despite the (fragmentary) evidence that artificial boosting of RBC count gives a higher boost at moderate altitudes than at sea level.

One study indicates that Vo2Max is increased twice as much at 1700-1800 altitude after EPO treatment than Vo2Max at sea level after the same increase in hemoglobin count.

Curious to know what happened to study participants at the 4500 meter equivalent. Were they having so much trouble breathing that they couldn’t continue?

 

[Aragon]

Curious to know what happened to study participants at the 4500 meter equivalent. Were they having so much trouble breathing that they couldn’t continue?

The main reason the authors find was that there wasn't sufficient blood flow to the working muscles.

It was very strange finding, but indeed saturation remained high, and correspondingly the oxygen flow was noticeably elevated even at high altitude from ~3.3 l/min to ~4.0 l/min after the EPO use, but whereas body consumed 85 % of the oxygen before the EPO treatment, the figure was only 70 % after it during the maximal effort.

It is noteworthy that the performance boost in one reinfusion paper from 1987 was at the high end of 3.5 % at moderate altitude (Albequerque, ~1600 m), but there was only at best a minor boost in running performance after transfusion at a very high altitude in one of the later papers.

 

[Sciatic]

The main reason the authors find was that there wasn't sufficient blood flow to the working muscles.

It was very strange finding, but indeed saturation remained high, and correspondingly the oxygen flow was noticeably elevated even at high altitude from ~3.3 l/min to ~4.0 l/min after the EPO use, but whereas body consumed 85 % of the oxygen before the EPO treatment, the figure was only 70 % after it during the maximal effort.

It is noteworthy that the performance boost in one reinfusion paper from 1987 was at the high end of 3.5 % at moderate altitude (Albequerque, ~1600 m), but there was only at best a minor boost in running performance after transfusion at a very high altitude in one of the later papers.

Interesting—thanks!

 

[Mayomaniac]

I know that I'm beating a dead horse, but Bolshunov getting worse during the games and getting outpaced by Valnes in the teamsprint only to be the strongest in the final distance race is a bit strange, even if it was a rather unusual race.

 

[Sciatic]

I know that I'm beating a dead horse, but Bolshunov getting worse during the games and getting outpaced by Valnes in the teamsprint only to be the strongest in the final distance race is a bit strange, even if it was a rather unusual race.

Reminiscent of the ole’ blood-bag Mondays during the Tour.

 

[roundabout]

Bolshunov beat Yakimushkin who was the worst of the Russian (ROC, whatever) team in the 15K, post-Covid Krüger, Maltsev who I think has done very few long races in his career and Roethe who was so bad in the skiathlon that he didn't make the relay team.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to use a 4.4 km under 10 minutes race against Valnes in a different technique as a pointer to how a 30k race would go. Even Niskanen who was the strongest classic distance skier in these Olympics couldn't gap Valnes, so for me it was more of a case of Valnes being very good than Bolshunov's form noticeably dipping.

And I am very far from a fan.

 

[frenchfry]

It's like Johaug is trying to erase any doubt in the doping debate.

 

[TheSpud]

It's like Johaug is trying to erase any doubt in the doping debate.

she won that 30k by a country mile

 

[Discgear]

Spanish figure skater tested positive for Clostebol in the Olympics. Maybe she kissed the Norse ski queen?

Spansk OL-utøver dopingtatt: Testet positivt for clostebol – VG Nå: Sportsdøgnet

Den spanske kunstløperen Laura Barquero testet positivt på bruk av clostebol. Det melder ITA, som er ansvarlig for dopingtestingen i OL.

direkte.vg.no

 

[Discgear]

The Johaug legacy, and the official story explaining why she tested positive.

At the press conference 13th of October 2016, which is still available online, Johaug and the team doctor Bendiksen gave us the timeline of events.

Johaug called Bendiksen in a panic on Sunday from the training camp in Seiser Alm and complained that she felt bad with severely sore lips after being sun burnt. She did not have the right ointment with her and was thinking of going home. They then talked with each other every day on the phone and Johaug left Seiser Alm for Livigno on Tuesday. On Thursday, Bendiksen travels from Norway and arrives in Livigno late in the evening but does not meet Johaug until next day. He eats breakfast on Friday morning with Johaug and can then personally observe that she has severely sore lips. In the afternoon, he checks the team’s medical box that is in place and notices that the right ointment is not there. On Saturday, he goes out to buy the right ointment, but he passes a pharmacy (Farmacia) on the way and instead to goes to a drug store (Parafarmacia). Which does not have the right ointment, Terracortril . He then asks the shop assistant for advice and receives, together with another ointment, the doping labeled Trofodermin ointment.

Some questions:

1. Why did none of the other team officials check if the right ointment was in the medical box earlier?
2. Why didn't Johaug herself, or someone of the team officials, go to one of the three pharmacies in Livigno to buy Terracortril?
3. Why didn’t Bendiksen bring Terracortril from Norway when he traveled to Italy to help Johaug?
4. Why did Bendiksen not meet the Johaug directly when he came down on Thursday.
5. After seing Johaug at breakfast, why didn’t he check the medical box until the efternoon?
6. Why did he wait until Saturday to go out and buy Terracortril?
7. Why did he go to a drugstore and not to one of the three pharmacies in Livigno? The latter do not sell Trofodermin by the way.
   
   The Press-conference starts at 1.33.47 https://www.vgtv.no/video/132823/johaug-tatt-i-doping
   CAS never did put the official investigation from Antidoping Norway on scrutiny. The just judged if the length of the ban was correct.

 

[Corto Maltese]

IL: Skier Ari Luusua shouted about doping

observatorial.com

 

[Corto Maltese]

Makes me proud to be Finn once again . Coached by Vähäsöyrinki…

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Klaebo - not normal.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Klaebo - not normal.

Drives over 2.5h every day in Toblach to still sleep on the passo lavaze. Almost like Joe Dürr flying back home to "train" during the Sochi Olympics...

 

[Mayomaniac]

I also find it interesting how the Swiss, the Italian and the Germans are able to keep up with the Norwegians in the junior ranks, despite the shrinking, much smaller talent pool.
Then a few years later it's night and day.


It might not be only doping related, but more money and inluence is imo the key factor.

 

[BullsFan22]

He’s never really out of breath when he crosses the line. One can be very efficient but still show fatigue, not once has he shown fatigue this season.

 

[Bavarianrider]

I also find it interesting how the Swiss, the Italian and the Germans are able to keep up with the Norwegians in the junior ranks, despite the shrinking, much smaller talent pool.
Then a few years later it's night and day.


It might not be only doping related, but more money and inluence is imo the key factor.

This is nothing new. It has been that way for many decades.
The Norwegian are not that impressive on the Junior level but once they jump to the men their performances skyrocket.
This was especially comical in the 1990s when Norway was particularly weak among the Junior level while running circles around everyone on the senior leve. Makes you wonder, why the men team didn`t share their "stone grinding secrets" with their fellow countrymen, cough cough.