Finns urge WADA to check the Norwegian Astmatics skiers

The director of the Finnish Center for Sports Medicine Timo Seppyal called on the World Anti -Doping Agency (WADA) to carefully check the Norwegian skiers after a two -month disqualification of Martin Yonsruda Sundbu.

Last week, Sundbu by the decision of the sports arbitration court (CAS) in Lausanne was deprived of victories in the overall standings of the World Cup in the 2014/15 season skiing and on the Tour de Ski and disqualified for two months due to the exceeded content of ventolin - - the prohibited drug used in the treatment of asthma. Traces of this substance were identified in the skiers doping labels at tournaments in Davos in 2014 and at competitions in Toblach in January 2015.

Initially, the International Sports Sports Federation (FIS) generally justified the athlete, however, the International Anti -Doping Agency (WADA) did not agree with the decision and appealed to CAS. The arbitration came to the conclusion that Sundbu had a medical justification for the use of the drug, he applied it not to improve his sports indicators, and the degree of violation of anti -doping rules turned out to be low, and therefore the punishment was carried out.

In an interview with the Finnish publication, Yle Seppyal emphasizes that this case is not single for the Norwegian ski team.

"CAS report showed that in the Norwegian skiing Federation everyone was aware of the application of the Sundbu of this drug. The athlete’s doctor knew very well about overdose, but did not interfere with this, which means that the Federation should be responsible for this incident. It is obvious that WADA should create a commission for investigating cases of prohibited drugs throughout the Norwegian skiing to establish the truth. Alternatives. No, ” the R -Sport agency quotes Seppyal.

In 2011, WADA excluded a symbicort from the list of prohibited drugs, which was then actively used by the famous Norwegian skier Marit Bjorgen. According to the fighters for the purity of sports, the anti -asthmatic medicine does not affect the results of athletes.

At the beginning of this year, the head of the Russian skiing federation Elena Vyalbe raised the question of the dominance of athletes in the national team, who legally receive medications that facilitate their breath during the race.

Vyalbe said that the successes of the Norwegians, who for several years have been occupying pedestals in both male and female tests in large international competitions, are annoyed by her, since only asthmatics act for this team.

A famous skier and three-time Olympic champion supported Vladimir Putin, who touched this issue at the last annual press conference . The President of the Russian Federation said that athletes who use drugs for medical reasons should go to paralympic sports.