FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 took place February 15-25, 2001 in Lahti, Finland for a record sixth time, previous events being held in 1926, 1938, 1958, 1978 and 1989. These championships also saw the most event changes since the 1950s with the 5 km women and 10 km men's events being discontinued, the 10 km women and 15 km men's events return to their normal status for the first time since the 1991 championships, the debut of a combined pursuit as a separate category (5 km + 5 km for women, 10 km + 10 km for men), the addition of the individual sprint race for both genders, and the debut of the ski jumping team normal hill event. Extremely cold weather (-23^oC / -9^oF) cancelled the women's 30 km event. The biggest controversy occurred when a doping scandal hit the host nation of Finland, resulting in six disqualifications. This would serve as a prelude to further doping cases in cross country skiing at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City the following year.

Men's cross country

1 km individual sprint

February 21. 2001

Finland's Jari Isometsä finished second, but was disqualified for blood doping.

30 km classical

February 19, 2001

The Finnish team finished first, but was disqualified when Janne Immonen tested positive for doping.

Women's cross country

1 km individual sprint

February 21, 2001

15 km classical

February 15, 2001

15 km Individual Gundersen

February 15, 2001

Individual large hill

February 19, 2001

Doping controversy

The six Finnish skiers affected, referred to in several cross country skiing publications [ [http://www.xcskiworld.com/news/OpEd/doping.htm AXCS: Cross Country Skiing at xcskiworld.com ] ] [ [http://www.xcskiworld.com/news/OpEd/brenna.htm AXCS: Cross Country Skiing at xcskiworld.com ] ] [ [http://www.cirkus.ee/portfolio/lahti.htm I am looking for new challenges ] ] [ [http://www.sportsci.org/jour/0101/ss.htm Doping Disaster for Finnish Ski Team ] ] [ [http://www2.hs.fi/english/archive/news.asp?id=20031121IE6 HS Sport 21.11.2003 - Former skiing head coach to be charged with smuggling and fraud ] ] [ [http://www.fasterskier.com/news/0211News.html FasterSkier.com ] ] [ [http://www.skicountyusa.org/oldsite/Articles/2004_11/110504.htm Ski County USA . org ] ] [ [http://www.xcskiworld.com/news/Editor/editor_gold.htm AXCS: Cross Country Skiing at xcskiworld.com ] ] as the "Lahti Six" were four men (Janne Immonen, Jari Isometsä, Harri Kirvesniemi, and Mika Myllylä) and two women (Milla Jauho and Virpi Kuitunen). All six tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch, a banned blood plasma expander. Kirvesniemi retired while the others served two year suspensions. Kuitunen is the only one of the "Lahti Six" that is still competitive as of 2008, having earned a bronze in the women's team sprint at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and four medals (including three gold) at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 in Sapporo.

This incident, along with the doping disqualifications of Olga Danilova, Larisa Lazutina, and Johann Mühlegg at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and Kaisa Varis at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in Val di Fiemme, would force the International Olympic Committee and the International Ski Federation to tighten up their drug testing procedures. Doping concerns were also strongly mentioned at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

Medal table

References

* [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/medg/mgjp/mgwsc.html?category=&sector=CC&season=2001&nbr=4&search=Search FIS 2001 Cross country results]
* [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/medg/mgjp12/mgwsc.html?category=&sector=NK&season=2001&nbr=4&search=Search FIS 2001 Nordic combined results]
* [http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/medg/mgjp12/mgwsc.html?category=&sector=JP&season=2001&nbr=4&search=Search FIS 2001 Ski jumping results]
* [http://www.broadcast.ca/english/online/full/skiing/0303014/I1031402AU.html March 14, 2003 announcement of Finnish skier Kaisa Varis's drug test failure. Details on 2001 skiers.]