Re:
Oude Geuze said:
Damn, its just like the documentary Icarus, so good to see the Russians dq'ed. I loved Legkov and Belov as skiers, but the Sochi 50k was just a farce. Anyone following xc knew what was up, trippel Russia demolishing Sundby was already proof of doping in my eyes. Russia and China really need to stop the state sponsored doping stuff, why is it so important for ex-communists to excel at sports? Hope Ustiugov stays clear though, definitely my favorite last season.
Btw, why did the southern europeans stop doping? I kind of miss seing old italians winning the 50k
I didn't see anything unusual in the 50km, to be honest. It's not like any of those three guys came out of nowhere, it's not exactly Johannes Duerr crushing everyone for one or two races. All three of those guys had already won world cup races, world championship medals and in Legkov and Chernousov's cases, they excelled at the U23 level. Legkov was beating Sundby more often than not as juniors and U23's, and Chernousov was battling the likes of Cologna and Northug at the same age. Vylegzhanin had more steady progress, but he got top 10 results as a 22 year old. He was 31 in Sochi. He won a 15km mass start race at a world cup in Poland just weeks before the Olympics. Finished 2nd in the opening mini tour (behind Sundby and just ahead of Legkov), and the Russians won the Lillehammer relay in December that season, beating the Norwegian teams that went 2,3,4, if my memory is right. First world championship medal in 2009 at the age of 26, two more in 2011, another in 2013, and his first individual gold medal at major championship in Falun 2015 in the skiathlon, and finished 4th in the 50km and 4th in the relay. Did the Russians exchange bottles or containers those year as well?
Legkov won U23's in 2006, went to his first olympics that year at 22, finished 2nd in the first tour de ski in 2007 (behind Angerer), finished 2nd overall in the WC that season (also behind Angerer). 2nd in that year's world's relay, 5th in the 15km, 6th in the 30km skiathlon. 2009 world's-4th in the skiathlon, 2010 olympics-4th in the skiathlon...2011 was sick for much of the year, though he won the mini tour in Kuusamo, 2012, fastest climb time up the Alpe Cermis, and another win in the 5km in Toblach, 5th overall in tour, 5th in the overall world cup, 3rd in the distance standings...2013-wins the tour de ski, wins the Holmenkollen 50km, wins the 10km in Kuusamo, relay bronze at worlds, 4th in the 50km at worlds, 6th in the skiathlon, 2nd in the overall world cup (behind Northug), wins the overall distance cup...2014-3rd in the opening tour (as mentioned above, behind Sundby and Vylegzhanin), wins the relay in Lillehammer, 5th overall in the tour de ski, wins the toblach 15km exactly a week before Sochi, 10th in the skiathlon in Sochi (after Di Centa broke his pole), obviously 2nd in relay and won the 50km. After the Olympics he had a run of four 3rd place finishes, including the overall tour in Falun to finish the season, and the 50km classic at holmenkollen, after he, Richardsson and Sundby had a massive battle. Finished 2nd in the overall world cup and 2nd in the distance world cup, all behind Sundby.
Sorry for the stats, just trying to make a point.
I don't see why it was such a shock to see them getting on the podium. Of course it doesn't happen often at the Olympics or World Champs that one nation sweeps the podium, but I don't see it as a 'farce.' Neither does Legkov's performance alone. The gap between him and 26th place was smaller than Bjoergen and the 4th place finisher in the women's race, oh and the Norwegian women swept that race....Any doping going on in that race?