(L-R) Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia, James Southam of the United States and Petr Sedov of Russia compete during the Men’s 50 km Mass Start Classic cross-country skiing on day 17 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Olympic Park Cross-Country Stadium on February 28, 2010 in Whistler, Canada.
(February 27, 2010 – Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images North America)
(PhatzRadio / CBC Sports) — Two-time Olympic cross-country skiing champion Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia has been banned for three years for doping with human growth hormone.
The International Ski Federation says its doping panel ruled the 40-year-old Veerpalu is ineligible to compete or take part in any official event until Feb. 23, 2014 — the final day of the Sochi Winter Olympics.
Veerpalu can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Veerpalu tested positive in Estonia in January while preparing for the world championships in Norway the following month.
He later said he had retired from competition.
Veerpalu is a two-time world champion and won gold medals in the classical 15-kilometre races at the 2002 and 2006 Olympics.
