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CROSS-COUNTRY
(NORDIC) SKIINGFlat-out Speed - washingtonpost.com graphic
Roll the
tape backward. On Salt Lake’s 17th and final day, three athletes —
Larissa Lazutina and Olga Danilova of Russia and Johann Muehlegg of
Spain were banned from the Games when they tested positive for
darbepoetin, a drug designed to increase red blood cells. Lazutina was
stripped of her gold medal in the 30-kilometer classical, but was
allowed to keep her silver medals in the 15km freestyle and the 10km
combined. Muehlegg was stripped of his gold medal in the 50km
classical but was allowed to keep the gold he won in the 30km
freestyle and the 10km pursuit. Danilova was disqualified from the
30km, but kept her gold in the 5km freestyle pursuit and silver in the
10km classical. Norway’s Bente Skari won gold in the 10km classical,
silver in the women’s 4x5km relay and bronze in the 30km classical.
Countryman Thomas Alsgaard won gold in the 4x10km relay and silver in
the 10km freestyle pursuit.
MULTIPLE MEDAL WINNERS
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Johann Muehlegg (ESP) — gold 30km; gold pursuit;
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Thomas Alsgaard (NOR) — silver pursuit; gold relay
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Frode Estil (NOR) — silver pursuit; silver 15km; gold relay
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Cristian Zorzi (ITA) — bronze sprint; bronze relay
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Andrus Veerpalu (EST) — gold 15km; bronze 50km
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Olga Danilova (RUS) — silver 10km; gold pursuit
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Julija Tchepalova (RUS) — bronze 10km; gold sprint
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Larissa Lazutina (RUS) — silver 15km; silver pursuit
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Bente Skari (NOR) — gold 10km; silver relay; bronze 30km
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Anita Moen (NOR) — bronze sprint; silver relay
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Stefania Belmondo (ITA) — gold 15km; bronze 30km
MEN
1.5km
SPRINT NEW |
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Tor Arne Hetland (NOR) |
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Peter Schlickenrieder (GER) |
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Christian Zorzi (ITA) |
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15km
CLASSICAL |
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Andrus Veerpalu (EST) |
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Frode Estil (NOR) |
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Jaak Mae (EST) |
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10km
FREESTYLE |
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Johann Muehlegg (ESP) |
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(tie) Thomas Alsgaard (NOR) |
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30km
FREESTYLE |
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Johann Muehlegg (ESP) |
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Christian Hoffmann (AUT) |
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Mikhail Botvinov (AUT) |
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50km
CLASSICAL |
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Mikhail Ivanov (RUS)* |
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Andrus Veerpalu (EST) |
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Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset (NOR) |
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4
x 10km RELAY |
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NORWAY |
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ITALY |
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GERMANY |
* Johann Muehlegg (ESP) was stripped of the gold medal on February 24th, 2002 for testing positive for the endurance-boosting drug darbepoetin. He was allowed to keep medals won earlier.
WOMEN
1.5km
SPRINT NEW |
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Julija Tchepalova (RUS) |
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Evi Sachenbacher (GER) |
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Anita Moen (NOR) |
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10km CLASSICAL |
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Bente Skari (NOR) |
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Olga Danilova (RUS) |
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Julija Tchepalova (RUS) |
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5km
FREESTYLE |
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Olga Danilova (RUS) |
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Larissa Lazutina (RUS) |
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Beckie Scott (CAN) |
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15km
FREESTYLE |
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Stefania Belmondo (ITA) |
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Larissa Lazutina (RUS) |
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Katerina Neumannova (CZE) |
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30km
CLASSICAL |
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Gabriella Paruzzi (ITA)** |
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Stefania Belmondo (ITA) |
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Bente Skari (NOR) |
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4
x 5km RELAY |
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GERMANY |
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NORWAY |
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SWITZERLAND |
** Larissa Lazutina (RUS) was stripped of the gold medal on February 24th, 2002 for testing positive for the endurance-boosting drug darbepoetin. She was allowed to keep medals won earlier.
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MEDAL TALLY |
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Total |
Norway |
3 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
Russia |
3 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
Italy |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
Spain |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Germany |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
Estonia |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
Austria |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Canada |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Czech Republic |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Switzerland |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Total |
12 |
13* |
11* |
36 |
* 2 silvers & no bronze awarded in Men's 10km Freestyle Pursuit
VENUE & EVENTS
Soldier Hollow
69 kilometers/43 miles from Salt Lake City
Soldier Hollow is a 518-hectare/1280-acre site at the eastern edge of Wasatch Mountains State Park southeast of Salt Lake City is an open, largely treeless site. The projected capacity is 20,000 spectators. Elevation at the high point of competition courses is 1793 meters/5882.5 feet. Base elevation is 1670 meters/5477.6 feet and stadium elevation is 1690 meters/5544.6 feet. Soldier Hollow is also host to Biathlon.
Cross-country skiing requires technique and physical endurance in order for skiers to complete long distances on rolling terrain. In classical competition, the skis must remain parallel on flat terrain. For uphills, a diagonal stride is used with skis set apart. The free technique permits all stride varieties, and is therefore a faster and more strenuous event. "Skating" (pushing off diagonally from the inside edge of the weight-bearing ski), is the most common technique used in the free competitions.
In general, cross-country skis are lighter and more narrow than those used in Alpine events. The skis used in free technique competitions are shorter than those used in classical competitions, while the poles are longer.
The men's races consist of a 10, 15, 30 and 50 kilometer events, plus a 40km relay, while the women compete in 5, 10, 15 and 30 kilometer races, with a 20km relay. For individual races, skiers usually start at 30-second intervals, while competitors in the first leg of the relay races all start together. In the pursuit races, the results of the first event (men's 10km and women's 5km classical) determine the starting order for the second race (men's 15km and women's 10km free). The first skier to cross the finish line in the second race is the overall winner.
