2003 May

Wednesday May 21, 2003 TORONTO — Beckie Scott, Olympic silver medallist in cross-country skiing and UNICEF Canada Special Representative, arrived in Toronto last night following her first UNICEF field visit to Burkina Faso, Africa. In the height of the country’s dry season, with temperatures at 40 degrees Celsius, Scott traveled to some of Burkina’s most remote areas to see first-hand the results of UNICEF’s programs promoting girls’ education. She met teachers, local government officials —...

I had received an e-mail prior to the U.S. Spring Series informing me that Norwegian skier Brynjar Skjærli's participation and noticed from the results that he did very well in competition with top US and Canadian skiers. Following the races, l got a chance to ask him some questions. Q: Who is Brynjar Skjærli? I am 24 years old and live in Lillehammer, Norway. I have been studying economics and last year became the editor...

By JAMES CHRISTIE From Tuesday's Globe and Mail POSTED AT 12:15 AM EDT Tuesday, May. 13, 2003 Cross-country skiing was awash with banned blood-boosting products the year before the Salt Lake City Olympics, with as many as 50 per cent of the world championship medalists and one in three top-10 finishers engaged in some form of blood doping. The condemning statistics are contained in a newly published sport medicine study by doctors Tapio Videman and...

VIENNA, May 13 (Reuters) – Austria's ski federation (OeSV) said on Tuesday it would appeal against the life ban slapped on its cross-country and biathlon ski team coach Walter Mayer by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for alleged doping. The FIS also banned cross country skiers Marc Mayer and Achim Walcher from all competition until March 20 2005, after the discovery of blood transfusion equipment in a chalet during the Olympic Winter Games in Salt...

The FIS has released its preliminary scheule for next season's World Cup events. The schedule will be decided on at this weekend's meeting in Stockholm. although few changes are expected. Here is one of the positive signs: despite all the turmoil surrounding the Finnish national team's status following Kaisa Varis' positive drug test this spring, Lahti will still be a stop on the circuit. And, like last year, there will be a sprint event in...

During a scheduling meeting held this past weekend in Strasbourg, the International Ski Federation (FIS) dealt with a suggestion to alter the list of races at World Championship and Olympic events. According to multiple news sources, it looks as though the historic 30 km race distance for men will soon become merely history. The proposal is to replace the 30 km with a 2 x 15 skiathlon (or continuous pursuit) race. The women’s 15 km...