Nordic Nation (FS Podcast): Chelsea Little on the Latest; There’s WADA, FIS, Sundby, & Johaug, Too

For years, Norway emitted a strong message, and it went something like this: we’re a paragon of clean sport and clean athletes who happen to dominate the cross-country ski world. Within the last three months, that image has been tarnished. Norway’s leading skiers Martin Johnsrud Sundby, and as of this past week, Therese Johaug, are embroiled in separate doping violations. And along with that news, sport-governing bodies like the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski Federation (FIS) are attempting to muddle through a post-McClaren Report world.

In this podcast episode, FasterSkier Editor-at-Large Chelsea Little gets front billing as she dives into some of her recent reporting involving nordic sport, doping and how to move forward. Little also gives some context to the Sundby case and fills us in on some of the details swirling around Johaug’s positive doping test.

From the 20,000-foot perspective, the leaders of anti-doping, presumably institutions like the IOC and WADA, continue to figure out how best to protect sport and athletes, and their own interest. After the IOC’s recent meetings where they issued a statement, or what they call a declaration, describing cultural norms of a new WADA, Little was still unsure how to decipher how the instututional players will modernize.

Little remarked that the language within the document is vague. “And somebody has to sort of get to the bottom of what that actually means, if you think that they know what that means,” Little said.

Razor-sharp logic to describe the back and forth world of doping in sport.

Click the play arrow below to listen to the podcast.