Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics

The cross-country skiing events at the 2002 Winter Olympics were marred by drug problems. The winners of three races were disqualified after blood tests showed that three skiers had overly high red blood cell counts indicating the use of darbepoetin, a drug used to treat anemia. At the time, the drug was not specifically listed in the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) list of banned substances, but the Olympic rules generally prohibit doping of any kind, in accordance with its charter. After two years and several lawsuits in Olympic and Swiss courts, the skiers in question (Johann Mühlegg of Spain, and Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova of Russia) were stripped of all their medals from the 2002 Games.[1]

Cross-country skiing
at the XIX Olympic Winter Games
Olympic Cross-country skiing athletes compete at Soldier Hollow
VenueSoldier Hollow
DateFebruary 9-February 23
No. of events12
Competitors260 (153 men and 107 women) from 44 nations
← 1998
2006 →
Athletes compete at Soldier Hollow on February 14, 2002.
A Russian commemorative coin depicting Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

See the external links below for the official IOC press releases containing detailed information of the doping cases and their resolution, including initial, intermediate, and final amended results. This article gives the final medalists as decided on by the IOC in early 2004.

Medal summary

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Medal table

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RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1  Norway52411
2  Italy2226
3  Russia2114
4  Germany1225
5  Estonia1113
6  Austria1102
7  Canada1001
8  Czech Republic0202
9  Sweden0011
  Switzerland0011
Totals (10 entries)13111236

Men's events

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Event Gold Silver Bronze
2 × 10 km pursuit
details
Frode Estil
  Norway
Thomas Alsgaard
  Norway
49:48.9 Not awarded Per Elofsson
  Sweden
49:52.9
15 km classical
details
Andrus Veerpalu
  Estonia
37:07.4 Frode Estil
  Norway
37:43.4 Jaak Mae
  Estonia
37:50.8
30 km freestyle mass start
details
Christian Hoffmann
  Austria
1:11:31.0 Mikhail Botvinov
  Austria
1:11:32.3 Kristen Skjeldal
  Norway
1:11:42.7
50 km classical
details
Mikhail Ivanov
  Russia
2:06:20.8 Andrus Veerpalu
  Estonia
2:06:44.5 Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset
  Norway
2:08:41.5
4 × 10 km relay
details
  Norway
Anders Aukland
Frode Estil
Kristen Skjeldal
Thomas Alsgaard
1:32.45.4   Italy
Fabio Maj
Giorgio Di Centa
Pietro Piller Cottrer
Cristian Zorzi
1:32:45.8   Germany
Jens Filbrich
Andreas Schlütter
Tobias Angerer
René Sommerfeldt
1:33:34.5
Sprint
details
Tor Arne Hetland
  Norway
2:56.9 Peter Schlickenrieder
  Germany
2:57.0 Cristian Zorzi
  Italy
2:57.2

Women's events

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Event Gold Silver Bronze
2 × 5 km pursuit
details
Beckie Scott
  Canada
25:09.9 Kateřina Neumannová
  Czech Republic
25:10.0 Viola Bauer
  Germany
25:11.1
10 km classical
details
Bente Skari
  Norway
28:05.6 Yuliya Chepalova
  Russia
28:09.9 Stefania Belmondo
  Italy
28:45.8
15 km freestyle mass start
details
Stefania Belmondo
  Italy
39:54.4 Kateřina Neumannová
  Czech Republic
40:01.3 Yuliya Chepalova
  Russia
40:02.7
30 km classical
details
Gabriella Paruzzi
  Italy
1:30:57.1 Stefania Belmondo
  Italy
1:31:01.6 Bente Skari
  Norway
1:31:36.3
4 × 5 km relay
details
  Germany
Manuela Henkel
Viola Bauer
Claudia Künzel
Evi Sachenbacher
49:30.6   Norway
Marit Bjørgen
Bente Skari
Hilde G. Pedersen
Anita Moen
49:31.9   Switzerland
Andrea Huber
Laurence Rochat
Brigitte Albrecht-Loretan
Natascia Leonardi Cortesi
50:03.6
Sprint
details
Yuliya Chepalova
  Russia
3:10.6 Evi Sachenbacher
  Germany
3:12.2 Anita Moen
  Norway
3:12.7

Participating NOCs

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Forty-four nations competed in the cross-country skiing events at Salt Lake City.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cross Country Skiing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
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