PRAGELATO, Italy (Feb. 10)– U.S. Ski Team officials anticipate that two U.S. skiers placed on a five-day 'no-start' provision will be able to compete beginning next Tuesday (Feb. 14). The two U.S. skiers were among eight athletes placed on a no-start list by the International Ski Federation after tests Wednesday (Feb. 8) showed slightly elevated hemoglobin levels. The FIS protocol is a health and safety provision.
“Elevated hemoglobin levels can be a natural response to changes in elevation and dehydration,†said Dr. Jim Sterling, chief medical officer for the U.S. Olympic Team. The athletes had traveled to Torino just 36 hours prior to the testing.
According to U.S. Ski Team Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner, both Kikkan Randall (Anchorage) and Leif Zimmerman (Bozeman, MT) were not anticipated to start in the pursuit event Sunday (Feb. 12), the only event falling within the FIS' five-day window. The athletes will retest Monday (Feb. 13).
“I get tested pretty regularly, especially the last few years with the U.S. Ski Team's sport science department,” said Zimmerman. “We have a pretty good passport on my blood levels and I'm routinely around 17 (maximum level) as I've spent almost my entire life living and training at altitude. I also have had a head cold for the past week and that definitely effected my hydration, along with the altitude. Hopefully this won't effect any of my plans at the Olympics. I had never planned on skiing the pursuit (this Sunday) and I expect to be ready for either the sprint or the 50-k.”