A huge scandal in skiing resulted in criminal cases and prison sentences.
Western fans and officials are not always ready to break their foreheads in attempts to condemn dishonest athletes.
The integrity and obtuse stubbornness with which they get Russians suspended for often invented offenses disappears when it comes to massive doping in their countries.
Six cases in a week
It’s hard to imagine now, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which brings fear to athletes, was created only in 1999. And just two years later, the organization’s activities led to a loud scandal.
At the 2001 World Ski Championships in Lahti, Finland, local athletes were ready to go to extreme measures in order to successfully perform at home.
On February 15, Kaisa Varis took bronze in the first 15 km time trial race. Jari Isometsya was a little less lucky: the three-time Olympic bronze medalist stopped one step away from the podium. It was with him that the loudest doping scandal in skiing of those years began. The sample given to Isomets gave a positive result for the presence of the drug HES in the blood.
This plasma replacement agent was used by unclean athletes to dilute plasma and mask another prohibited substance – erythropoietin. It allows you to maintain strength longer during competitions.
Yari immediately admitted everything and took the blame upon himself. But on February 22, the reputation of Finnish sports was dealt another blow. Men’s relay winner Janne Immonen was caught using the same drug. On the same day, WADA conducted unexpected testing of the entire Finnish team. At the same time, the anti-doping service resorted to a trick.
Norwegian functionary Rune Andersen, who was at the forefront of creating the agency, said that a meeting was arranged with the coaches and team management, at which the arrival of doping officers on February 24 was announced. But instead, WADA representatives visited the Finnish team’s camp two days earlier. The tournament hosts were taken by surprise.
As a result of the mass inspection, four more cases of use of the prohibited drug were identified. Caught for doping: Virpi Kuitunen, Milla Jaho, and Mika Myllylä. The most unexpected thing was the appearance of Harri Kirvesniemi on this list. The legendary skier brought medals from five Olympics. In Finnish society at that time it was difficult to find a more respected athlete.
Mika Myllyla / Photo: © Frank Peters / Staf / Bongarts / Gettyimages.ru
“I had extensive experience”
The huge scandal at the home World Cup was a real shame for the Finns. Immediately, heads rolled. Two doctors lost their positions in the team, and after them several more Finnish ski officials resigned. Two days later, disappointing results came from the autopsy of Imonnen’s doping test. Finnish gold in the men’s relay went to Norway.
On February 28, Kirvesniemi announced his retirement, and then admitted doping. At the same time, Harry did not hesitate to say that he deliberately committed a violation.
— I have had extensive experience using this drug. It was believed that it was not detected in tests with one hundred percent probability, Kirvesniemi told the Finnish newspaper Ilta Sanomat.
Harry Kirvesniemi / Photo: © Alexander Hassenstein / Staf / Bongarts / Gettyimages.ru
As a result of the proceedings, all six athletes received a two-year suspension. It’s strange, but WADA decided not to take away the gold from Virpi Kuitunen, which she won four days before her positive doping test. Then the Finn was ahead of the Russians Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova in the last meters.
The Finnish woman benefited from the negative test she took immediately after the race. During the proceedings, she also claimed that she did not know for what purpose the team doctors were introducing drugs into her body.
National team coach Kari-Pekka Kyuro received a life ban. A few years later he would reveal to the press some details of the scandalous conspiracy. According to him, the doping philosophy in the national team has flourished since 1997.
At the World Championships, they wanted to hush everything up even after the first incident. To do this, Kyuro, together with an official from the Finnish Ski Union unnamed in the WADA report and several other skiers, persuaded Isomets not to disclose the details of the massive fraud and to take everything upon himself. In return, the skier was promised a million Finnish marks. But the deal never took place due to the disclosure of a fraudulent scheme.
The fate of dopers
The fates of disqualified athletes turned out differently. Only the unsinkable Kuitunen returned to the highest level. She won five more gold medals at the world championships, and also took one bronze each at the Olympics in Turin and Vancouver. The rest were unable to return to their previous level.
Virpi Kuitunen / Photo: © Clive Mason / Staf / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
In 2012, Jari Isometa, Harri Kirvesniemi and Janne Immonen received suspended sentences for giving false testimony. The thing is that three years before their suspension, the Finnish publication STT published a number of articles in which they spoke about the use of doping in the national team. Then the case went to court, but the publication failed to defend its honor and received a large fine.
All of these skiers participated in court hearings and testified, denying doping. At the same time, they got off lightly, because they faced up to three years of actual imprisonment.
The fate of Myllul was the most tragic of all. Mika returned to skiing, but was unable to achieve his former success. In 2005, the athlete decided to end his career. For some time he worked as a sports equipment salesman, but began to abuse alcohol and died in 2011.
2023-12-20 20:21:08
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