olimpic said:
aah thank you!
Some years ago another norwegian athlete answered that he thought there could be doped athletes in the upcoming wc in his sport (biathlon).
The media and athletes from others countries gave him hell from just saying that.
...of course there have been doping cases since that
Really? Because such comments aren't uncommon in biathlon.
For example...
Bjorn Ferry after narrowly missing out on bronze at the worlds: "I have not given up yet. He (Deryzemlya) has to take a leak first and then we'll see. I know who he is, but he tends to end up around 30th place rather than 3rd. I would not be surprised if he was caught, but it's very rare so I guess he wont be.
Some compete very little in the World Cup and then pop up at the championships and go really fast. One might think that it seems weird.
Wada and independent organizations should do all the testing, not international federations. I don't think they want any scandals."
Ted Armgren: "Among these skiers are also certain you do not want to see. Doping-swine Iaroschenko arrived today. He is banned until December, but seems to have come here to prepare with some training buddies. If you ask me, he should pack his bags, head back east and get a new job. They say you should give people a second chance, but I remain doubtful..."
Wolfgang Pichler (a coach):
After a russian tested positive at the 2008 worlds: “We have to be serious about the doping problems in our sport. In the last winter Olympics in Torino Russian Olga Pyleva delivered a positive doping test. So did Natalja Burdiga in last year’s summer Grand Prix. If there is another positive Russian doping test something has to be done.
We have seen examples of suspended athletes coming back after two years’ suspension, pretending nothing has happened. Or where their national team just presents new athletes that fill the positions. The rules are not strict enough and something better has to be done. Therefore we ask on behalf of the trainers and athletes, that nations which obviously are not afraid of cheating, must be punished.
We must do more, we have had five cases in the last two years. The good reputation of Biathlon is at stake."
After 3 russians tested positive for EPO in 2009: "I am not surprised. I have always suspected that the Russians were on something. Three at the same race - it cannot be anything but systematic and it has been going on for many years. I think the whole team take drugs.
Putin should stop the team from going to the Worlds. If not Putin, then the IBU must stop them. The best punishment is if the nation cannot start in international competitions for a year or two. If they have some character themselves they will withdraw from the Olympics. Then the next Olympics will be at home in Sochi in 2014 and it would get the Russian federation to clean up. If they do not do it themselves, the IBU must force them."
Pichler explains that several national team coaches in a meeting during the World Cup finals in Oslo last spring called for tougher sentencing by the IBU.
"We said then that if a nation has two or more doping cases in two years, the entire national team should be sanctioned.
This damages our sport tremendously. Look at the sport of cycling - it is dead in Germany today.
Look at the ski times for the Russians at the Worlds - they were not believable. Take Achatova for example: she was poor all season last year and then she came to the Worlds and was great. We talked a lot about it. That something was not right, but we could not accuse them of doping without proof.
I am quite sure that we have lost medals because they doped. They beat us in the mixed relay at the World Championships last year, for example. I cannot imagine that they were clean then."
After the form of the non-caught russians declined shortly thereafter: "I think they are clean now, at the moment. Just look at their ski times. If I meet them, I will ask: "What happened to your ski times?" It applies to Sleptsova and the others. Where is their ski form? Where has it gone since the doping cases? Have you lost it? They all ski considerably slower.
There are six positive doping tests. Three times Jarosjenko, twice Ahkatova and Jourijeva. Yet they try to portray it as if they are victims."
He claims he has most of the other nations behind them in their attacks on Russia, but understand that not many are called out and publicly voice her opinion.
"I think it is not always so easy. There are many who have one-year contracts. They are afraid to do it now, but I understand it. I speak on behalf of the coaches. I am more than happy to do so.
I am just so angry with doping. They do not know what it costs us. Ask the sponsors, ask everyone."
Do you fear that the same will happen here as in the Tour de France, where the major TV channels pulled out?
"Of course. The Russians do not understand it. We have real problems. They are so negative for our sport."
Mattias Nilsson after the flurry of russian EPO positives: "Yep it was time for the news I've been waiting for all weekend. The rumors have gone, russian biathletes doped. Why are we not surprised? And the others will act as if they did not know anything."
Anna Carin Olofsson-Zidek on Anastazia Kuzmina's Olympic gold: "Maybe her top form arrived with the mail?"
Staffan Eklund (coach) on Kuzmina: "I would like to know what secrets she has and how she managed to peak so impressively right now."
Magdalena Neuner:
In 2007: "I am very disappointed with the IBU. I was not drug tested a single time from April to October. This is also true for every other biathlete I know personally. This is totally unacceptable."
About the russians: "You congratulated them honestly when they beat you and they smile in your face. It makes my stomach turn."
"This is on the one hand harmful for the reputation of the sport, but on the other hand, it is good that it came out. Finally, someone has been caught."
"They (the remaining russians) are in an extremely good mood. They sit at the table and laugh and the atmosphere is great. I don't understand how they can be so good-humored. I think it's just totally disappointing and sad that they all act as if nothing had happened."
Asked if the sport is clean: "It would be naive to say yes. Clearly it isn't, because there has been doping cases.
We want tighter controls."
"A good performance does not fall from the sky." (don't remember if this was directed at anyone in particular)