Bad Sports, Part II—The Vindication of Beckie Scott

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The Olympics are designed to be a simple thing: “The important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight,” said Baron de Coubertin (founder of the modern Olympic Games)” The essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.” Those sentiments he voiced would become the Olympic Creed. But “winning” has become so important in modern society—so potentially lucrative—that it’s logical to expect that winning will become the ultimate priority. Olympic gold is a huge thing: to some participants, it may become a thing worth cheating for.

Beckie Scott (CAN) originally finished third in the 5 k Pursuit in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Her bronze medal made her the first Canadian to win a medal in Olympic cross-country skiing. It was a satisfying accomplishment, the crowning achievement of an already proud career. But the story did not end with the presentation of that bronze medal. Subsequent to those Olympics, it was discovered that the gold and silver medalists—Olga Danilova and runner-up Larissa Lazutina—had tested positive for the presence of darbopoetin, a therapeutic drug that boosts red blood cell production (similar to EPO). A long process of investigations, rulings, appeals, and re-decisions followed, ultimately resulting in the disqualifications and suspensions of Danilova and Lazutina, and the awarding of the gold medal to Scott. She finally received her gold medal in a modest ceremony in June of 2004.

While it was wonderful to see a clean athlete like Beckie Scott be rewarded for her efforts, it was also part of a dark chapter in Olympic history . . . and similar chapters continue to be written. What an utter mess . . . what an indictment of Olympic greed, of the uber-competitive nature of cross-country skiing. And what a criticism of the agencies responsible for assuring fair and unbiased competition. Danilova and Lazutina had both enjoyed long and successful careers. Lazutina was one of the great Soviet/Russian skiers of all time, having won 15 gold medals at Olympics and World Championships. And yet their records, their victories, their medals now came under unavoidable scrutiny.

After the doping disqualifications of Russian skiers, Beckie Scott—the clean athlete on the podium—found herself elevated in the medal standings, first from bronze, to silver. Then later to gold. She was compelled to ride an emotional roller coaster, one that extended across multiple seasons. She would become a symbol of what was right in the Olympic movement, while also being called upon to represent the interests of many other athletes who urged her to advocate for more comprehensive drug testing. It was a role she was willing to take on for a while, but it was certainly not the way she may have imagined spending her retirement after a long and distinguished career.

The Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Ski Federation continue to contest the veracity of the tests, even going so far as to dedicate a city park in Moscow to Lazutina: the Sports and Recreational Park of Hero of Russia Larisa Lazutina. It seems that Russian federations and athletes have not yet learned that the world desires clean and fair competition . . . and that is what will be respected and rewarded.