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Muehlegg wins third cross-country gold
By Landon Hall
Associated Press sports writer
MIDWAY, Utah — After failing and then passing a blood test, Spain's Johann Muehlegg staged a strong comeback over the final 10 kilometers of the 50K classic-style race Saturday, winning his third gold medal by overtaking Russia's Mikhail Ivanov.
Muehlegg, who became a Spanish citizen in 1999 after he had a falling out with the German ski federation, lunged across the finish line with a time of 2 hours, 6 minutes, 5.9 seconds.
Muehlegg was among 13 athletes selected at random before the race to be tested for high levels of hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying molecule in red blood cells that can increase endurance. Muehlegg's first test showed a hemoglobin level above the limit of 17.5. Five minutes later, Muehlegg was tested again, and this time he was under the threshold, and he started the race as scheduled.
"The blood was going up, but finally it was not a problem," Muehlegg said after his victory.
On Thursday, Russian cross-country skier Larissa Lazutina was not allowed to take part in the relay race because her prerace blood test showed a hemoglobin level of 16.8, above the limit of 16.0. Like Muehlegg, Lazutina was allowed to have a second test, but she was still over the limit.
Muehlegg, who also won gold in the 30K freestyle and 10K pursuit, said a change in diet over the last few days, combined with a bout of diarrhea on Friday night that left him dehydrated, might have contributed to his initial high blood levels.
Muehlegg said his switch from proteins to carbohydrates three days before the race gave him enough energy to catch Ivanov, who led the staggered-start race most of the way. Ivanov finished 14.9 seconds slower to win silver, while Estonia's Andrus Veerpalu won the bronze.
Muehlegg started slowly and began to fall further behind. By the 33.4K mark, Ivanov's lead had grown to nearly 39 seconds. Muehlegg had a sudden burst of energy, though, getting within 16.4 seconds with 9.5 kilometers to go.
Ivanov, a slight 6-foot, 154 pounds, tried hard to dig his poles into the snow and pump his legs over the final stretch, his face wound in a tight grimace. But he simply couldn't match Muehlegg's strength.
"I think he's the strongest skier of these Olympic Games, and it's almost impossible to compete with him," Veerpalu said. "
In his most recent victory, Muehlegg had enough time to grab a Spanish flag from the grandstand and carry it to the finish line. This time, however, he had no such cushion. When he came across, he was doubled over in pain and exhaustion.
"For me, it was the toughest race ever," he said.
John Bauer was the top American, in 35th; Andrew Johnson was 53rd; Justin Wadsworth didn't finish.
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February 23, 2002
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