THREE SKIERS BANNED FOR DOPING AT 2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
7th January 2020
Last modified on May 16th, 2021
They were caught during raids at the World Championships in Seefeld Austria. A coach has also been banned.
The International Ski Federation, FIS, has given bans of four-years to former world championship medalist Alexei Poltoranin of Kazakhstan and Estonian skiers Karel Tammjarv & Andreas Veerpalu.
The Estonian coach, Mati Alaver, has received a similar punishment.
It follows the raids at the Nordic World Championships at Seefeld in Austria last February.
Five athletes and four others were arrested at the time.
PlanetSKI was in Seefeld for the Championships and we reported from Seefeld on the dramatic events.
One athlete, Max Hauke, was caught with a needle in his arm as the raids were made.
Last week the outgoing President of FIS, Gian Franco Kasper, spoke of the problems of doping in snowsports.
“We have seen through the on-going Russian doping scandal the deep harmful impact that doping has on all sports,” he says.
“This is a story that will go on well into the next decade.
“There is no easy solution to putting an end to doping in sport. FIS will continue to play its part in keeping sport clean through testing and education and we will work together with our stakeholders to ensure we keep our sport clean.”
Disciplinary proceedings are still under way against another Estonian skier, Algo Karp, and against Veerpalu’s father, Andrus Veerpalu.
He won two Olympic gold medals.
Nordic 2019 World Championships. Image © PlanetSKI.
