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2 stripped of gold after doping tests
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News staff writer
Salt Lake hopes for a dope-free Games were dashed Sunday with announcement that three Olympic athletes had tested positive for an EPO-like drug and two of them would lose gold medals.
All three were also tossed from the 2002 Winter Games on the last day of competition.
The athletes, German-born Johann Muehlegg of Spain, Larissa Lazutina of Russia and Olga Danilova of Russia — all cross country competitors — each tested positive for use of darbepoetin, which stimulates production of red blood cells and is used to treat anemia. It is an artificial substance that never occurs naturally but behaves similarly to erythropoietin, though it lasts longer.
The action by the IOC executive board puts the athletes in the unusual position of being designated both winners and cheaters. They will not be stripped of medals they won earlier in the Games and for which they passed earlier doping-control tests. But their earlier wins will clearly be viewed with skepticism since they were later found to be using banned substances.
Muehlegg loses the gold medal he won Saturday in the 50 kilometer classic cross country skiing event and was given until 5 p.m. Sunday to return the medal to the IOC. He retains his gold medals in the 30K freestyle and 10K pursuit events.
Lazutina gives up a victory in the women's 30K classical race — just hours after winning the gold and tying an Olympic record. She will, however, keep the silver medals awarded her in the 5K pursuit and the 15K freestyle.
Following what would prove to be a short-lived victory Sunday, she was lamenting her disqualification from the 4x5 relay because her hemoglobin level was too high. Because her hemoglobin level was 16.8, above the 16 threshold, she wasn't allowed to compete Thursday in the relay.
That wasn't a doping test, but it triggered the doping tests — first blood and then urinalysis — that discovered the darbepoetin. She was allowed to compete Sunday because the IOC executive board had not yet acted on her positive doping test.
"Today I took the same test, and it was fine," she said, following the race but before the doping results were announced. "That's why the tragedy on Thursday made me more determined to work harder (today)."
Danilova will retain her 10K silver and 5K gold medals.
While it is not specifically named on the list of banned substances, darbepoetin is "clearly a related substance to EPO and is therefore prohibited," according to Arne Ljungqvist, acting chairman of the IOC Medical Commission, who said that the substance was found during urinalysis — something that isn't ordered unless the athlete shows abnormal blood parameters. It is not named on the list because it didn't exist when the list was produced. It was marketed first in October.
"This is a strong statement to those who say we are far behind," Ljungqvist said. "We are on their heels."
But Francois Carrard, general manager of the IOC, said there are "legal reasons" the three athletes will not lose other medals. As a matter of course, winners are subjected to doping control tests. And they passed the tests related to those events for which they won earlier medals. IOC will not attempt to take those away.
All endurance athletes were tested for EPO, said Dr. Patrick Schamasch, IOC medical commission. Of more than 1,200 athletes tested, only the three failed, although about 7 percent of the tests came back with blood levels that required further analysis.
Carrard said all three athletes have a right to appeal. It is not known if any will, however.
E-MAIL: lois@desnews.com
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February 25, 2002
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