2002 Winter Olympics Medal Table - Changes in Medal Standings

Changes in Medal Standings

Due to various controversies, two extra gold medals were awarded. In the figure skating pairs competition, Yelena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze of Russia were originally awarded the gold over Jamie Salé and David Pelletier of Canada. In the ensuing controversy, it was revealed that French judge Marie-Reine Le Gougne had been pressured into voting for the Russians. Salé and Pelletier were later upgraded to gold. In the cross-country skiing 30 km race, Norwegians Thomas Alsgaard and Frode Estil originally tied for a silver medal behind Spain's Johann Muehlegg. Muehlegg had won three gold medals but tested positive for darbepoetin after winning his third. He was originally allowed to keep the other two gold medals, but two years later was stripped of all medals by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Per Elofsson of Sweden was awarded the bronze. At the same time, Muehlegg was stripped of a gold medal in the 30 km race, with Christian Hoffmann of Austria being upgraded to gold, Mikhail Botvinov of Austria to silver and Kristen Skjeldal of Norway to bronze. Muehlegg also lost his gold in the 50 km race, so Mikhail Ivanov of Russia, Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia and Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset of Norway were upgraded to gold, silver and bronze, respectively.

In women's cross-country skiing, Larisa Lazutina of Russia originally won gold in the 30 km race, but tested positive for darbepoetin and was immediately stripped of her medal, so Gabriella Paruzzi of Italy was awarded the gold, Italian Stefania Belmondo received the silver and Norwegian Bente Skari the bronze. Lazutina won two more medals, and was allowed to keep them until 2003 when she was stripped of them by the Court of Arbitration for sport. She also lost a silver medal in the 15 km race so Kateřina Neumannová of the Czech Republic and Yuliya Chepalova of Russia were upgraded to silver and bronze. In the 10 km pursuit, she was stripped of a silver, so Beckie Scott of Canada was awarded the silver and Kateřina Neumannová of the Czech Republic the bronze. The gold in that race was won by Olga Danilova of Russia but she also tested positive for darbepoetin and in 2004, Scott was upgraded to gold, Neumannova to silver and Viola Bauer of Germany to bronze. Danilova won a silver in the 10 km race, so Julija Tchepalova of Russia was given silver and Stefania Belmondo of Italy the bronze.