2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: First gold medallist, Norway’s Therese Johaug, missed the last Games over doping claims

2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: First gold medallist, Norway’s Therese Johaug, missed the last Games over doping claims

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Saturday, February 05, 2022, 03:31 PM IST
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Norway’s Therese Johaug wrote her name into the history books as she became the first gold medallist of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, winning the 15km skiathlon.

Four years ago however, it was a different story as she had to watch the last Games from home due to a doping ban.

She would’ve been a favourite at PyeongChang having already amassed seven world championship golds and three Olympic gongs by then.

However, in October 2016 she tested positive for clostebol, a banned steroid with anabolic effects, and was handed a 13-month ban which was then extended to 18 months on appeal, ensuring she would miss the 2018 Games. Johaug has always maintained that she ingested the substances accidentally through a lip balm she was using for sunburn.

Since she returned to competition, the 33-year-old has doubled her world title tally to 14, winning all four events she entered at last year’s event in Germany, and was similarly dominant as she streaked to her first of what could be four more gold medals.

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