Vincent Vittoz Tests Positive For Doping

FasterSkier · February 2, 2005

Source: Norwegian newspaper VG:

French cross country skiing star Vincent Vittoz has tested positive for doping only two weeks before the start of the Nordic World Championship in Oberstdorf, Germany. Vittoz is number two in the overall World Cup.

Vittoz is tested positive in tests taken at the World Cup races in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic on January 15. The name of the substance that was found in the sample has not been released yet. When a sample comes back positive for a banned substance, the athlete may request that a second sample, the B sample, be tested. An athlete is not 'convicted' of doping unless both samples are positive.

— I have asked that the B-sample be tested, says Vittoz in a press release.

– I will not comment any further before the B-sample is analyzed, he said.

The Norwegian national team cross country coordinator Bjornar Hakensmoen got the message at Thursday afternoon (European time).

He underlined that the B-sample is not tested yet, but admitted that he would be very disappointed if it’s proven that Vittoz has cheated.

– It’s good to see that the system is working. It’s at the same time of course sad for the entire sport. I believe it’s cleaner than a few years ago, but this was not the type of news we needed before Worlds, said Hakensmoen

Vittoz has won all three freestyle races this season.

VG article: http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=265402