| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
|
| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
|
| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
|
| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
|
|
|
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Briton, Belarussian fail Oly drug tests
By Lois M. Collins
Deseret News staff writer
Alain Baxter is the first Briton to win an Olympic skiing medal, and now he's the first Olympic alpine skier accused of doping.
Officials are now testing his "B" sample to see if it says what the "A" sample said: The athlete had methamphetamine in his system the day he took third-place in the slalom during the Olympics. He was identified by the British Olympic Association early this week.
Meanwhile, the International Ice Hockey Federation has said that a Belarus player, who it declined to name until further testing is completed, had tested positive for the steroid nandrolone. The Belarus team was defeated by Russia for the bronze medal.
Next week, the International Olympic Committee plans to hold a hearing on both cases. It won't comment further until the process has run its course.
If he's found guilty of doping, Baxter would be disqualified and forfeit his medal, which would pass to the fourth-place finisher, Benjamin Raich of Austria.
Baxter, a Scot, told the Associated Press that he was "devastated" by the positive test and plans to prove his innocence during the hearing. In a written statement he said that "I have never knowingly taken any medicine or substance to improve my performance and as such believe that I am entirely innocent. I am now working with lawyers and medical experts to present my case to the IOC's Inquiry Commission and the IOC's Disciplinary Commission . . . with a view to defending myself successfully against the charges."
Three other athletes — all competing in cross-country events — tested positive for doping during the 2002 Winter Games. Two, Johann Muehlegg of Spain and Larissa Lazutina of Russia, were each stripped of a gold medal. The third, Olga Danilova of Russia, was stripped of a certificate of participation. All three were allowed to keep medals earned earlier in events for which they passed doping-control screenings.
And the Austrian men's cross-country team is being investigated after blood-transfusion equipment and empty blood bags were left behind in a house the team rented in Midway during the Games. IOC has not yet completed its investigations.
In all of these cases, the athletes could be banned from competition for two years, a penalty that would be assessed by the individual sports federations. Whether the Austrians will lose medals is ultimately an IOC decision that will hinge on the results of its ongoing investigation.
All of the athletes have a right to appeal any sanction handed down by the IOC or the sports federations to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
E-mail: lois@desnews.com
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March 6, 2002
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