Anti-Doping Norway Proposes 14-month Ban for Johaug

November 30, 2016 (Oslo, Norway) – Norwegian cross-country ski star Therese Johaug now seems to be facing a 14-month ban for her “unintentional” doping violation in August reports AP. At least this is what Anti-Doping Norway’s prosecution team is recommending. Her current two-month suspension would count toward the 14-month ban, meaning she could again compete in late December, 2017, about two months before the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Therese Johaug (NOR) © Nordic Focus

Johaug told media that she is happy that the prosecution believes her version of events – that she “unknowingly” took the banned steroid clostebol when using a cream for sunburn – but has trouble understanding how this can lead to a 14-month ban reports AP citing the Norwegian media NTB.

Even if she did take the steroid inadvertently, under the WADA regulations, athletes are responsible for all substances that enter their bodies. The sunburn cream packaging carried a warning that the cream is a doping product. As we reported earlier, there are indications that FIS wants Anti-Doping Norway to apply at least a two-year ban to Johaug and may appeal the sanction if it is less than two years.

Johaug, 28, is an Olympic and Nordic Worlds champion, winning gold in the 4x5km relay at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. She also has won gold seven times at World Championships and twice won the overall World Cup title.

AP here.
SkiTrax previous report here.

2 Comments For This Post

1. Marty Hall, NH, USA says:
   November 30th, 2016 at 10:07 am

   Isn’t interesting that FIS has been way less then front and center for the last 40 (yes, FORTY) YEARS—-in the army they call it missing in action (MIA) here they are raring and ready to get into the action of handing out sanction for dopings—shame on you Kasper and Lewis—-get back to running your association—you have enough problems with double poling—get your act in line and keep your mouth’s shut. Better yet tell us where you have been all these years. You had your agent Bengt Eric Bengston, as the FIS’s Nordic technical director on the scene form the beginning of the WC—he knew everything and everybody—he had to be aware of what was going on with the doping scene. I knew it—just couldn’t prove it.
   I was in the DDR 3-4 different times—why were the athletes in living arrangements with barb wire fences around them—to keep us out or to keep them in. Read “Fausts Gold” if you want to know what was really going on—what MONSTERS they really were!
   14 months is about a half to a million dollar fine for Johaug and the loss of skiing competitively until into the next season—which should put her on thin ice for being ready for the Olympics.
   I think that does it for me, but I would like to hear what anti-doping Norway has for a rationale for picking a number like 14 months.
   CASE CLOSED!!

2. csskibike1991, Minnesota, USA says:
   December 1st, 2016 at 10:36 pm

   What I don’t understand is why it seems the FIS is raring to make this some kind of example case, while, from an outsider’s perspective, it seems that Russia only got a wrist slapped when faced with evidence of systematic doping programs.

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