April 15, 2011 – Mati Alaver, Estonian Ski Team coach, has refused to accept the job of Russian Ski Team Coach offered by the Russian Ski Federation according to ERR News. Alaver states that his priority is to help prove that Estonian skier Andrus Veerpalu is not guilty of doping despite his B Sample positive test for HGH on April 6.

The Estonian coach added that if Veerpalu is cleared, he will continue his position with the Estonian Team. But Russian Ski Federation President, Yelena Vyalbe, is trying to recruit Alavar, who coached Veerpalu a 2x Olympic and 2x World Champion, along with world championship bronze medalist, Jaak Mae.

Vyalbe, a former cross-country skier herself, with three Olympic gold medals to her name, maintains her confidence in Veerpalu’s innocence and Alavar’s integrity as a coach.

Read the ERR News articles HERE and HERE.
Read previous coverage about the Veerpalu case HERE and HERE.

January 11, 2011 – The Russian Ski Federation confirmed today that cross-country skier Nikolay Pankratov has received a two-year ban from competition after he was caught with blood doping equipment on the Austrian-Swiss border in September – read more here – thus violating the FIS anti-doping code, reports Reuters.

The 28-year-old was a member of the silver medal winning 4x10km Russian relay squad at the 2007 World Championships and he also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

In light of the long history of doping problems faced by the sport in Russia, along with the fact that the next Winter Olympic Games are taking place in Russia, FIS recommended that the country establish a new governing body for the sport and develop a clean ski team.

Read the full story HERE.