The cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

 events at the 2002 Winter Olympics

2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...

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

Anemia

Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...

. At the time, the drug was not specifically listed in the IOC

International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

's list of banned substances, but the Olympic rules generally prohibit doping

Doping (sport)

The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...

 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

Johann Mühlegg

Johann Mühlegg is a Spanish top level cross-country skier who has competed in international competitions first representing Germany and then Spain, after becoming a Spanish citizen in 1999...

 of Spain, and Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova

Olga Danilova

Olga Danilova is a Russian cross country skier who competed from 1991 until she was banned for using performance enhancing drugs in 2002...

 of Russia) were stripped of all their medals from the 2002 Games.

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 table

1		5	2	4	11
2		2	2	2	6
3		2	1	1	4
4		1	2	2	5
5		1	1	1	3
6		1	1	0	2
7		1	0	0	1
8		0	2	0	2
9		0	0	1	1
		0	0	1	1

Men's events

2 x 10 kilometre pursuit		49:48.9	|	|49:52.9
15 kilometre classical	|37:07.4	|37:43.4		37:50.8
30 kilometre freestyle mass start	|1:11:31.0	|1:11:32.3		1:11:42.7
50 kilometre classical	|2:06:20.8	| 2:06:44.5		2:08:41.5
4 x 10 kilometre relay	Anders Aukland Anders Aukland Anders Aukland is a professional Norwegian cross-country skier who has won both Olympic and World Championship gold medals. He lives in Oslo.... Frode Estil Frode Estil Frode Estil is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. He currently lives in Meråker with his wife Grete whom he married in the summer of 2001. They have two sons, Bernhard, born in August 2002, and Konrad. Estil was classical specialist and also a specialist at succeeding in World Championships... Kristen Skjeldal Kristen Skjeldal Kristen Skjeldal is an Olympic champion and cross country skier from Norway. He has won three olympic medals: two gold and one bronze. He won his first gold medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville... Thomas Alsgaard Thomas Alsgaard Thomas Alsgaard is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. Alsgaard is regarded by many as the best performer of the skate-style in cross-country skiing and many of today's best skiers have studied his technique...	1:32.45.4	Fabio Maj Fabio Maj Fabio Maj is an Italian cross country skier who competed from 1992 to 2004. He won two silver medals in the 4 x 10km relay at the Winter Olympics... Giorgio Di Centa Giorgio Di Centa Giorgio Di Centa is an Italian cross country skier who won two gold medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics, including the individual 50 km freestyle race... Pietro Piller Cottrer Pietro Piller Cottrer Pietro Piller Cottrer is an Italian cross-country skier who won gold medal in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He was born at Sappada, province of Belluno.... Cristian Zorzi Cristian Zorzi Cristian Zorzi is an Italian cross country skier who excels at sprint ski races. He is nicknamed Zorro, for his exuberant character....	1:32:53.8	Jens Filbrich Jens Filbrich Jens Filbrich is a German cross-country skier who has been competing since 1998. He won two medals in the 4 x 10 km relay at the Winter Olympics with a silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2002...   Andreas Schlütter Andreas Schlütter Andreas Schlütter is a German cross-country skier who has been competing since 1993. He won 2 medals in the 4 × 10 km relay at the Winter Olympics with a silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2002... Tobias Angerer Tobias Angerer Tobias Angerer is a German cross country skier, and skies with the SC Vachendorf club. He graduated from the Skigymnasium Berchtesgaden in 1996. His occupation is "Sports Soldier"... René Sommerfeldt René Sommerfeldt René Sommerfeldt is a German cross-country skier who competed from 1994 to 2010. He won 2 medals in the 4 x 10 km relays at the Winter Olympics with a silver in 2006 and a bronze in 2002...	1:33:34.5
Sprint	|2:56.9	| 2:57.0		2:57.2

Women's events

2 x 5 kilometre pursuit	|25:09.9	|25:10.0	|25:11.1
10 kilometre classical	|28:05.6	|28:09.9		28:45.8
15 kilometre freestyle mass start	|39:54.4	|40:01.3		40:02.7
30 kilometre classical	|1:30:57.1	|1:31:01.6		1:31:36.3
4 x 5 kilometre relay	Manuela Henkel Manuela Henkel Manuela Henkel is a German cross-country skier who has competed since 1994. She won a gold medal in the 4 x 5 km at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Her best individual finish was 12th in the Individual sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin... Viola Bauer Viola Bauer Viola Bauer is a retired German cross-country skier who competed from 1995 to 2007... Claudia Künzel Claudia Künzel Claudia Nystad is a German top-level woman cross country skier. She represents the sports club WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal... Evi Sachenbacher	49:30.6	Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen Marit Bjørgen is a Norwegian cross country skier and triple olympic champion from Midtre Gauldal, Norway. Bjørgen is the most successful sprinter in Cross-Country World Cup history, with twenty-four victories. She is ranked first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings with forty-eight... Bente Skari Bente Skari Bente Skari, née Martinsen, is a former cross country skier from Nittedal, Norway. She is one of the most successful cross country skiers ever.-Career:... Hilde G. Pedersen Anita Moen Anita Moen Anita Moen, sometimes shown as Anita Moen-Guidon is a former Norwegian Cross-country skier who competed from 1987 to 2003...	49:31.9	Andrea Huber Andrea Huber Andrea Huber is a Swiss cross-country skier who competed from 1993 to 2004. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and finished 27th in the individual sprint at those same games....   Laurence Rochat Laurence Rochat Laurence Rochat is a Swiss cross-country skier who has competed since 1996. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5km relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and had her best individual finish with a 15th place in the Individual sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.Rochat's best... Brigitte Albrecht Loretan Brigitte Albrecht Loretan Brigitte Albrecht Loretan is a Swiss cross-country skier who has competed from 1992 to 2002. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and had her best individual finish with a 7th place in the 30 km event at the 1998 Winter Olympics in... Natascia Leonardi Cortesi Natascia Leonardi Cortesi Natascia Leonardi Cortest is a Swiss cross-country skier and Ski mountaineering who has competed since 1988 in the World Cup circuit. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 5 km relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and had her best individual finish with a 10th place in the 30 km...	50:03.6
Sprint	|3:10.6	|3:12.2		3:12.7

External links

• IOC Announces Annulment of the Results of Larissa Lazutina from the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games and Amends Results Accordingly – IOC press release, 29 June 2003
• IOC Executive Board disqualifies Muehlegg and Danilova from the Salt Lake City Games – IOC press release, 28 February 2004