Vancouver Olympics medals set to change hands 15 years later after Swiss court ruling
More than 15 years since the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, medals are set to change hands.
One of the longest-running doping disputes in sports history seemed to have finally reached a conclusion on Wednesday when Switzerland's top court rejected appeals by Russia's Evgeny Ustyugov in cases affecting biathlon medals from the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
The Biathlon Integrity Unit, the sport's anti-doping body, said the Swiss Federal Tribunal turned down Ustyugov's appeals in doping cases, upholding a ruling last year from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS confirmed both federal appeals were dismissed.
'While we regret the time it has taken to reach this point, the ruling reinforces the principle that doping violations will be identified and sanctioned, however complex the process may be,' BIU head Greg McKenna said in a statement.
ALSO READ: Sports Ministry announces enhanced financial support for National federations
It's now up to the International Olympic Committee to formally reallocate Ustyugov's medals — a gold and a bronze from 2010 and a relay gold from 2014 — to other athletes.
Among those in line to benefit is France's Martin Fourcade. He's one of biathlon's all-time greats and an IOC member since 2022, and crossed the line second to Ustyugov in the 15-kilometer mass start event in 2010.
The cases facing Ustyugov were based on data from the Moscow anti-doping lab at the centre of a cover-up scandal and on 'abnormalities' in his medical data, the BIU said. The Swiss ruling likely brings an end to legal battles which have dragged on for years. Ustyugov himself has not competed since 2014.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
The long wait that defined Kohli and RCB's triumph
New Delhi: For a while, as Virat Kohli struggled in the middle on Tuesday, it looked as if Royal Challengers Bengaluru would be left to despair again in the IPL final. The run-rate wasn't where they would have wanted it to be, Punjab Kings were putting on the clamps and RCB's talisman was not able to get going. The wait, some dreaded with the RCB total on 125/3 after 14 overs, could continue. The cruellest cut in sport is to be within touching distance of the ultimate prize and then not win it. For RCB, it had happened thrice already, in 2009, 2011 and 2016. On each occasion, the cameras had zoomed in on Kohli. The expressions were a mix of dejection, disbelief and desperation — each feeling perhaps a reflection of where Kohli's career was at that point. But this time, as the match wound to a close, Kohli could barely control the tears. When the final ball was bowled, he was on his knees and let it all out. Triumphs are sometimes defined by the wait; by how hard you have had to work for them; by how much the struggle changed you. This was the journey of a lifetime – for the club and the player. When Kohli was asked where he would rank the achievement, his answer revealed that the quest tested him in many ways. 'It's right up there, if I have to be honest,' said Kohli. 'I've given everything that I had for the last 18 years. I've stayed loyal to this team, no matter what. I've had moments where I thought otherwise. I stood behind them, they stood behind me. And I always dreamt of winning it with them. This is far more special than winning it with anyone else because my heart is with Bangalore, my soul is with Bangalore. 'You know, as a sportsman, when you grind for something, and this is a very high intensity, high quality tournament, which is of great value in world cricket today. I'm someone that wants to win the big tournaments, the big moments, and this one was missing.' The missing one Roger Federer was the clear No. 2 on clay from 2006 to 2008 when he made three straight French Open finals. The only problem was that the man dominating the tournament, Rafa Nadal, was pretty much an insurmountable hurdle and had beaten Federer in all three including a 6–1, 6–3, 6–0 pounding in 2008. But then Robin Soderling produced an epic performance to beat the Spaniard, and the Swiss ace pounced on the opportunity. 'It meant a lot to me because it was the last Grand Slam that I was still missing. For me, I had won all the others by 2004, so I had to wait a good five, six years… So, of course, when I won it finally, on a rainy day here in Paris and I came through in the final, it was a beautiful moment,' Federer later said. There are many other greats who will identify with the feeling. Having made his India debut in 1989, Sachin Tendulkar had to wait till 2011 to get his hands on a World Cup. 'In the end, what matters is that the trophy is sitting in your dressing room and not in the opposition's dressing room, and that happened to us,' Tendulkar later said. 'It was the ultimate feeling on the cricket field to take that victory lap as champions...' Sometimes the wait is so long that one starts believing it isn't meant to be. That is when resilience, a single-minded focus and luck make their presence felt. India's first individual Olympic gold was built on a manic approach by Abhinav Bindra; Andry Murray became the first British male to win Wimbledon in 77 years in 2013, but many will remember the Henmania inspired by Tim Henman as well. Henman didn't find joy but his struggle inspired a generation. For Blackburn fans, the wait to win the top-flight English football league lasted 81 years but few will top the Red Sox baseball team winning the World Series in 2004, 86 years after their previous title. It inspired jokes and there was even talk of the Curse of the Bambino as the team's trophy drought started after they traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1920. Through it all, the fans, the teams and the players persist. The wait is excruciatingly painful but at the end of the day — as Kohli and RCB will attest — that is what makes the victory taste sweeter still.
News18
5 hours ago
- News18
Olympian Imane Khelif's Medical Report Claims She Is ‘Biologically Male'
Last Updated: Samples were collected at Dharamshila Hospital in Vasundhara Enclave, near Mayur Vihar in East Delhi. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became the centre of controversy after winning gold in the women's welterweight category at the Paris 2024 Olympics amid claims questioning her biological sex. These claims have resurfaced following the release of new details about a chromosome test conducted before the Olympics. A 3 Wire Sports report revealed that she had undergone a chromosome test in 2023 ahead of the Women's World Championships. The test, according to the report, was conducted by Dr Lal Path Labs in New Delhi. Samples were collected at Dharamshila Hospital in Vasundhara Enclave, near Mayur Vihar in East Delhi. 3 Wire Sports also shared a portion of the 2023 test. Under the 'Interpretation' section of the report, it read: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype." A karyotype refers to the full set of chromosomes in a person's cells. Humans typically have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs. The pair that determines biological sex is either XX (female) or XY (male). The test result allegedly showed the presence of XY chromosomes in Khelif's case. Following this test result, Khelif was barred from competing in the 2023 Women's World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) alongside Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting. But by the time the Paris Olympics took place, boxing was being overseen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) which had stripped the IBA of its status due to concerns over its governance. Under IOC guidelines, eligibility was determined based on official documentation like a passport that listed the athlete as 'female." This allowed Khelif to compete and ultimately win gold in Paris. At a Paris news conference, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, 'Those tests are not legitimate. The tests themselves, the process of the tests and the ad hoc nature of the tests are not legitimate. The testing, the method of the testing, the idea of the testing, which happened kind of overnight. None of it is legitimate and this does not deserve any response." But once the 3 Wire Sports report surfaced on social media, many users criticised the IOC and expressed anger over the unfair judgement. One user commented, 'So the test confirmed Khelif is biologically male — disqualified in 2023, Olympic gold in 2024. What changed? Not the chromosomes. Silence from the IOC, silence from MSM. Women sacrificed, truth buried." Another wrote, 'They knew Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was male and allowed him to batter a female contestant at the 2024 #Olympics. Male average power in a punching motion is 162% greater than females. #Misogyny doesn't describe it." 'So this could have been completely cleared up before he fought as a woman and beat women out of a medal that they rightfully deserved?" someone asked. 'It's a shame they let that guy win," read another comment. Amid the growing criticism, World Boxing announced it will now require mandatory genetic sex testing for all boxers competing in the female category. It also said that Khelif would not be allowed to compete in any of its events unless she completes such a test under its official procedures. But after naming Khelif in its announcement, World Boxing faced its backlash and later apologised to the Algerian Boxing Federation. According to BBC, World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst issued a statement saying, 'I am writing to you all personally to offer a formal and sincere apology for this and acknowledge that her privacy should have been protected. By reaching out to you personally, we show our true respect to you and your athletes." Khelif had been set to make a competitive comeback at the Eindhoven Box Cup from 5-10 June.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
World Boxing chief apologises for singling out Imane Khelif in sex testing policy
Imane Khelif (Image credit: Instagram) World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst has issued a formal apology to Olympic gold medalist Imane Khelif after she was singled out in a policy announcement regarding mandatory sex testing. The Algerian boxer, who triumphed at the Paris 2024 Olympics amid eligibility scrutiny, was specifically named in World Boxing's press release last Friday unveiling its new gender verification policy. The move sparked backlash for violating athlete privacy. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! As per an AP report, in a letter addressed to the Algerian Boxing Federation, Van der Vorst acknowledged the mistake, writing, 'I am writing to you all personally to offer a formal and sincere apology for this and acknowledge that her privacy should have been protected.' Who's that IPL player? He added that the organisation hoped this gesture would 'show our true respect to you and your athletes.' World Boxing, which has been provisionally approved to govern boxing at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, introduced a new rule mandating genetic testing from July 1 to verify the sex of all competitors aged 18 and above. The controversial policy aims to ensure fairness in male and female divisions, but has raised ethical and legal concerns. Arshdeep Singh: The Poet Who Bowls Thunder | Stories from His Father & Coach Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting were both disqualified by the previous governing body, the IBA, ahead of the 2023 World Championships, but were cleared by the International Olympic Committee to compete in Paris. Despite the controversy, Khelif is expected to return to the ring this month at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands and plans to defend her Olympic title at LA 2028.
