The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed this Tuesday the suspension for doping of Russian Evgeny Ustyugov between 2010 and 2014. Martin Fourcade therefore officially recovers the gold of the mass-start of the Olympic Games of Vancouver 2010.
A title with a bitter taste
14 years later, Martin Fourcade retrieves a title. During his first Olympic fortnight in Vancouver in 2010, the Catalan, only 21 years old at the time, took second place in the Kings' race. Author of a final stratospheric tour, he had failed a few seconds fromEvgeny Ustyugov. A magnificent silver medal, on which he relied throughout his career to build his incredible record, which finally turns into gold at the end of 2024.
On October 27, 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found guilty Evgeny Ustyugov of an anti-doping rule violation. Over the period 2010-2014, anomalies were detected on his biological passport, most certainly proving the use of prohibited substances with an abnormal hemoglobin level. The Russian decided to appeal this decision. His defense? This rate is naturally high due to a genetic mutation. A defense not admissible by the CAS which confirmed its decision on Tuesday. Evgeny Ustyugov may appeal this decision to the Swiss Federal Court. However, such appeals are only permitted for limited procedural reasons.
As a result, all Russian results (from January 24, 2010 to 2014) have been removed from the shelves! A period which includes the Olympic title of the mass-start of Vancouver, but also the bronze medal on the relay man of this same Olympic fortnight (Sweden recovers the bronze with Fredrik Lindstrom, Carl Johan Bergman, Matthias Nilsson et Bjoern Ferry). He was also removed several months ago from gold on the relay men's Olympic Games in Sochi 2014. Here too, the call forEvgeny Ustyugov had been rejected.
Martin Fourcade therefore sees himself winning a sixth Olympic title ahead of the Slovak Pavol Hurajt and the Austrian Christoph Sumann. On carpet green, certainly, perhaps too late, but a completely deserved coronation which only accentuates his legend a little more. With this gold medal, he equals Ole Einar Bjoerndalen to the number of individual titles (5). He also reached 84 victories on the world circuit. And he once again becomes the most successful French athlete at the Games.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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