October 13, 2016 (Norway) – Norway’s Therese Johaug, an Olympic and Nordic Worlds champion, has tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol during an out-of-competition control on September 16 according to the Norwegian press.

Johaug, 28, was in tears at a press conference at VIF-Hall Stadium in Ullevaal claiming innocence as apparently the Norwegian Team doctor, Fredrik S. Bendiksen, gave her cream he purchased at a local local pharmacy in Livigno, Italy where the team was training, to use against her sun-burned lip.

Therese Johaug (NOR) © Nordic Focus

According to Johaug her lip was bleeding and she consulted the team doctor who gave her a first cream that didn’t work and a second one Trofodermin containing the banned substance. “I asked if it was on the list, and he said no. I trusted 100 percent on it,” says Johaug in the report.

Bendiksen has resigned taking full responsibility and concurs with Johaug’s statements and believes she should not be sanctioned but ultimately all athletes are responsible for what substances they have in the body.

In July, the Norwegian Team came under fire when Martin Johnsrud Sundby twice tested positive for Salbutamol, a medication he used to treat asthma. Sundby received a two-month suspension and was stripped of his 2014/15 Tour de Ski title and his overall World Cup title. The Norwegian Federation said in a statement that it assumed full responsibility for the matter.

Then in August Norwegian officials were scrambling again to explain their use of asthma medication on athletes that don’t need it which again highlighted top skiers such as Marit Bjørgen and Sundby who have permission to use the medication. Many in the ski community like Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland have complained for years about so-called “loose” restrictions in Norway.

Johaug like Sundby described the situation as her “worst nightmare” and the Norwegian press is up in arms including sports commentator, Lasse Anrell, who told Aftonbladet TV, “Norwegian cross-country stinks, they have not taken the problem seriously.”

According to Erik Røste president of the Norwegian Ski Federation, “Here is a day of sorrow. What should not happen, which is not possible to happen, happened. And I think that’s hard to explain. The matter rests with Anti-Doping Norway, and the case is not ended there. Therese has chosen to go out with the case, which is why we sit here today, and she has the full support of the Norwegian Ski Association.”

Read more here.
Sundby Loses Titles here and here.
Norwegian Federation in Hot Water here and here.