Just saw this today. I'm astonished, and skeptical: I know two of the athletes listed personally, and would stake almost anything that they're clean.

Nat

FIS Press relase:

Torino 2006: Eight start prohibitions issued due to too high haemoglobin values registered in FIS pre-Olympic testing

Pragelato, 9 th Feb, 2006/ -- In the course of the pre-competition blood testing carried out by FIS in Torino whereby all Cross-Country and Nordic Combined Athletes will be tested prior to their first competition at the Olympic Winter Games, the following athletes have today been issued with a start prohibition for five consecutive days due to too high haemoglobin values:

Sean Crooks (CAN), male
Sergey Dalidovich (BLR), male
Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA), male
Aleksandr Latzukin (BLR), male
Natalia Matveeva (RUS), female
Kikkan Randall (USA), female
Evi Sachenbacher (GER), female
Leif Zimmermann (USA), male

This prohibition from participating in the competition(s) is not a sanction, but is considered to serve to protect the health of the Athlete. Consequently, no disciplinary measures will be taken.

In the two days of testing, 224 Athletes have been tested. The total number of Cross-Country and Nordic Combined Athletes participating in the XX Olympic Winter Games is 330 and 63, respectively.

A start prohibition results from the process that is defined in the Article B.4.2 of the Procedural Guidelines to the FIS Anti-Doping Rules: “If an Athlete shows a haemoglobin value that is equal to or exceeds the values of 16.0 g/dl for ladies and 17.0 g/dl for men after two consecutive measurements, the Athlete will be notified by the representative of the Jury that he/she is not allowed to start any competitions for five consecutive days, including the day on which the test took place: e.g. if the blood test takes place on Monday the Athlete will not be permitted to start again until Saturday (and then only subject to the results of a new blood test, as defined in Article B.4.5).”

In cases where Athletes have natural haemoglobin values that exceed the limits of 16.0 g/dl for ladies and 17.0 g/dl for men, they are required to provide certification for review by a specialist appointed by the FIS before the start of each season, respectively their first competition. This certification must come from an officially recognised Haematological Department and contain the Athlete’s full history and haematological profile from an early age in life.

For the 2005/2006 season, six athletes have been granted a dispensation from the FIS Hb rule for the entire season, whilst six additional athletes have been granted a temporary dispensation valid for a defined period of time including the Olympic Winter Games.

Nat
Is there an appeals process with the possibility of re-testing? It's my understanding that dehydration can be a cause of elevated hemeglobin levels, so that may be the case with some of them. At least they're not banned totally, just a 5-day suspension. What's the procedure now - do they need to pass a second test to be cleared to compete after the 5 days are up?

Weaselman -

I'm not sure what the rules and procedures are, so that will have to sort itself out. I know the coaches and staff are working hard on it, as is the German coach, Jochen Behle. And I suspect that US doctor Stray Gundersen, who is high up in the drug-testing field, will be doing all he can as well.

But during the five days, Leif and Kikkan will have missed several important races, possibly their best chances.

Llives at altitude, has been training at altitude, and may well have been dehydrated as well - all things that can raise hemoglobin levels. And both Kikkan and Leif are young and superb people and athletes who are really the hope of the sport.

The whole thing is tragic, and "health excuse" is a flimsy way for the officials to look caring.

We need controls and tests - no doubt at all of that. But this rule may well be unrealistic, if well-meaning - and it may ruin or sour some lives.

I'll try to keep the board informed as things develop.

Nat

The latest, as of late afternoon on Friday:

Just heard from Leif's ski rep:

"Leif and Kikkan are not apparently due to race until after the 5 day re-testing period ends. Both will be eligible again after their results are shown below the limit, and apparently they could race beginning the 14th. In Leif's case for sure, the Sprint on 22 Feb is the first race he would contest; Leif is pencilled in also for the 50k on the 26th. Kikkan I think would be scheduled for the Team Sprint on the 14th.


"Had a long talk with Galanes [Kikkan's coach - NRB]this a.m. He's livid that the FIS testing is the only interntational federation to do such a test; it's imperfect and as you say taints innocent athletes with a stigma. Also he believes the USST should not be silent - now I see there is a statement by the USST and Tom Kelly is quoted in the latest AP dispatch... Galanes talked with Stray-Gundersen [bigwig in the testing feield- NRB] for an hour this morning, and Straycat points out that the test is not a good one. Only risk now is that they must get their levels below minimum; if they fail again, it's a dire penalty, maybe the two-year ban. Good news is that a doper can't get the counts to fall - in cases of dehydration, altitude reaction or effect of sickness, the counts can all come around in 5 days.

"Leif is ok with this apparently - he talked to him mom yesterday after the test, saying only that his test was high, and it was after this that the news was out... I don't know what his frame of mind is now - Galanes was about to call Kikkan to see her reaction. But now, support from us certainly should help them!"

None of which changes my position that the cheaters have done this to us...

Nat

Four more skiers (none Canadian or American) also did not pass their hemoglobin test Friday and received a 5-day start prohibition. This brings the total to 12 xc skiers banned from competition for 5 days.

As Nat has posted above, this is the result of a sad reality that comes with doping: doping effects everybody, not just the cheating athletes. If any good comes out of this it will be that more clean athletes will start to demand that anti-doping methods are more agressive toward catching the actual cheaters.

I raced against Leif (one of the suspended American skiers) for 4 years and I grew up with Kikkan in Alaska, where we had the same coach for a few years. I can attest that these are two athletes who embody sport in every positive sense possible. Their coaches and families are supportive, and I have no reason to believe their elevated hemoglobin test results are due to doping of any kind.

The international skiing federation (FIS) had a rough Winter Games four years ago in SLC when 3 very high-profile medalists failed actual drug tests in the final week of competition. I think the current issue might be an undue overreaction to that.

The FIS does not test athletes for the Olympics (that responsibility is shared by the IOC and the World Anti-Doping Agency), but the FIS does apparently "check" the athletes' hemoglobin levels, which, when high, can signal dangerously thick blood or doping (or both).

I wonder if the FIS is worried about another xc skiing doping scandal in Torino and wanted to "pre-test" the 300+ xc skiing and nordic combined athletes to weed out or warn the ones that have a high hg count so that there is not another drug scandal? If this is the case, it's a shameful tactic. If athletes are cheating, it HELPS the sport when they are caught because it protects the clean athletes, which ultimately make a fair competition possible. This apparently inadequate hg test should not be able to intervene with otherwise clean athletes, which appears to be the case.

And the FIS should not hide behind the idea that prohibiting athletes with a high hg level from starting somehow protects their health. They've all signed waivers that say they understand the dangers of competing in elite-level sports. Let them race, and let the real drug testers catch the real cheaters!

Ryan