Andrus Veerpalu

Andrus Veerpalu
Andrus Veerpalu
	Andrus Veerpalu in 2013
Country	Estonia
Born	8 February 1971; Pärnu, Estonia
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Ski club	Jõulu
World Cup career
Seasons	19 – (1992–2006, 2008–2011)
Individual wins	6
Indiv. podiums	11
Team podiums	0
Indiv. starts	141
Team starts	28
Overall titles	0 – (7th in 2003, 2004)
Discipline titles	0
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing Estonia
Olympic Games
World Championships

Andrus Veerpalu (born 8 February 1971) is a retired Estonian cross-country skier. He is Estonia's most successful Winter Olympian, having won the gold medal in men's 15 km classical in 2002 and 2006, and silver in men's 50 km classical in 2002.

Career

On 17 February 2006 Veerpalu won his second Winter Olympics gold medal (in 15 km cross country skiing; his previous gold medal is from the Salt Lake City games), becoming the fourth Estonian to have won two Olympic gold medals (Kristjan Palusalu, Erika Salumäe and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi are the first three). He is the most successful Olympic athlete from Estonia with three medals. (Kristina Šmigun-Vähi tied that record at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics)

Veerpalu has also found success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, winning a gold at 15 km in 2009 at Liberec, 30 km in 2001 at Lahti and a silver at 50 km in 1999 at Ramsau. He has also won the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 2003 and 2005. Veerpalu also competed in the men's 50 km, Mass Start Classic at the 2010 Winter Olympics, finishing at the 6th place.

Veerpalu became the oldest world champion in history with his victory at Liberec 2009 on the 15 km classical event. He was then 38 years old.[1] He is also the oldest Olympic champion in individual distance.

Veerpalu earned the Holmenkollen medal in 2005, the first Estonian to do so.

Veerpalu is the fourth athlete to compete in cross-country skiing at six Winter Olympics, after Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi, Harri Kirvesniemi, and Jochen Behle. (Kateřina Neumannová is also a cross-country skier who competed at six Olympics, but one of her appearances was in cycling.)

On 23 February 2011, Veerpalu announced that he will end his professional sportsman career due to a chronic knee injury.[2]

Doping case acquittal

Several months after Veerpalu's retirement it was announced that he had tested positive for HGH (growth hormone), however he had pleaded innocent in HGH treatment. Estonian biochemistry doctors explained that the verdict was untimely and that there was no reliable method to distinguish artificial HGH from natural background hormone.[3][4][5] Veerpalu appealed the test result to the FIS.[6] The FIS antidoping commission found Veerpalu guilty and extended his ban to three years, due to Veerpalu's team's lack of co-operation with FIS.[7] A group of top Estonian biochemists investigated the matter and insist Veerpalu was a false positive.[8][9] The Court of Arbitration for Sport acquitted Veerpalu, lifted his doping ban and ordered the FIS to pay a part of Veerpalu's court costs on 25 March 2013.[10]
The court stated "that there are many factors in this case which tend to indicate that the Athlete did in fact himself administer exogenous hGH" but found that the decision limit, the threshold for considering the result an adverse analytical finding, was not sufficiently reliable to uphold the doping conviction.[11] Krista Fischer, a senior researcher for the Estonian Genome Center, questioned what these unexplained factors hinted at by CAS could be: "So what were these factors? Right now the only numbers that seem to hint at doping are the same four numbers that have been ruled invalid."[12]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[13]

Olympic Games

3 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver)

Year	Age	10 km	15 km	Pursuit	30 km	50 km	Sprint	4 × 10 km relay	Team sprint
1992	21	21	N/A	42	44	—	N/A	10	N/A
1994	23	36	N/A	55	—	26	N/A	—	N/A
1998	27	8	N/A	DNS	19	—	N/A	10	N/A
2002	31	N/A	Gold	—	—	Silver	—	9	N/A
2006	35	N/A	Gold	—	N/A	—	—	8	—
2010	39	N/A	—	—	N/A	6	—	—	—

World Championships

3 medals – (2 gold, 1 silver)

Year	Age	10 km	15 km	Pursuit	30 km	50 km	Sprint	4 × 10 km relay	Team sprint
1993	22	49	N/A	57	31	—	N/A	—	N/A
1995	24	72	N/A	—	30	—	N/A	—	N/A
1997	26	32	N/A	DNF	—	39	N/A	11	N/A
1999	28	14	N/A	DNF	—	Silver	N/A	10	N/A
2001	30	N/A	5	—	Gold	—	—	7	N/A
2003	32	N/A	8	DNF	4	—	—	8	N/A
2005	34	N/A	—	19	N/A	4	—	9	—
2009	38	N/A	Gold	19	N/A	—	—	8	8

Season standings

Season	Age	Discipline standings					Ski Tour standings
Season	Age	Overall	Distance	Long Distance	Middle Distance	Sprint	Nordic Opening	Tour de Ski	World Cup Final
1992	21	NC	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1993	22	NC	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1994	23	78	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1995	24	73	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1996	25	NC	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
1997	26	74	N/A	60	N/A	59	N/A	N/A	N/A
1998	27	26	N/A	24	N/A	28	N/A	N/A	N/A
1999	28	22	N/A	12	N/A	43	N/A	N/A	N/A
2000	29	43	N/A	23	51	36	N/A	N/A	N/A
2001	30	42	N/A	N/A	N/A	—	N/A	N/A	N/A
2002	31	19	N/A	N/A	N/A	NC	N/A	N/A	N/A
2003	32	7	N/A	N/A	N/A	—	N/A	N/A	N/A
2004	33	7	6	N/A	N/A	23	N/A	N/A	N/A
2005	34	13	10	N/A	N/A	58	N/A	N/A	N/A
2006	35	—	—	N/A	N/A	—	N/A	N/A	N/A
2008	37	50	34	N/A	N/A	77	N/A	—	22
2009	38	27	20	N/A	N/A	77	N/A	19	—
2010	39	41	20	N/A	N/A	108	N/A	—	DNF
2011	40	86	50	N/A	N/A	NC	DNF	—	—

Individual podiums

6 victories – (6 WC)
11 podiums – (11 WC)

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1998–99	28 February 1999	Ramsau, Austria	50 km Individual C	World Championships^[1]	2nd
2	2002–03	12 January 2003	Otepää, Estonia	30 km Mass Start C	World Cup	3rd
3		15 February 2003	Asiago, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
4		8 March 2003	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
5	2003–04	13 December 2003	Davos, Switzerland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
6		16 December 2003	Val di Fiemme, Italy	1.2 km Sprint C	World Cup	3rd
7		17 January 2004	Nové Město, Czech Republic	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
8		16 December 2003	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
9	2004–05	8 January 2005	Otepää, Estonia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
10	2004–05	12 March 2005	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
11	2009–10	16 January 2010	Otepää, Estonia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd

Note: ¹ Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Personal life

He is married to Angela Veerpalu and they have five children.

References

FIS-Ski.com article on Veerpalu's victory. – accessed 1 March 2009.
"Veerpalu Retires from Skiing On Eve of World Championships". ERR. Estonian Public Broadcasting. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
Erik Rand. "Doktor Laasik: Veerpalu dopinguproovi tulemustes võib kahelda" [Doctor Laasik: One may doubt in the results of Veerpalu's doping test] (in Estonian). Eesti Päevaleht. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
Priit Luts, Oliver Kahu. "Biokeemik: tehis- ja loomulikku hormooni on raske eristada" [Biochemist: Artificial and natural hormone is difficult to distinguish]. Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011.
Tartu Ülikooli professor: Veerpalu dopingupatuseks nimetamine on ennatlik (Professor of the University of Tartu: It is untimely to condemn Veerpalu as guilty in doping) Archived 12 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine Eesti Päevaleht
"VIDEO: Vandeadvokaat Aivar Pilv: vajadusel lähme arbitraažikohtusse" [Attorney Aivar Pilv: If necessary, we will to go to the Court of Arbitration]. sport.delfi.ee. 7 April 2011.
"FIS otsustas: Andrus Veerpalu on süüdi". Eesti Päevaleht. 23 August 2011.
Alaveri jätkamine peatreenerina sõltub FISi otsusest (Alaver's resumption as head coach depends on FIS's decision). Postimees
"Veerpalu kaitsev teadlane kritiseerib dopingutesti usutavust" (in Estonian). Postimees.
CAS issues decision in the case of Veerpalu International Ski Federation
Andrus Veerpalu v International Ski Federation (CAS 2013).Text
"NFL Players 'Hail' Veerpalu Verdict". Estonian Public Broadcasting. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
"Athlete : Veerpalu Andrus". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 14 March 2018.

External links

Andrus Veerpalu at the International Ski Federation
Holmenkollen medalists at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) – click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
Holmenkollen winners since 1892 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Andrus Veerpalu". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020.
13. June 2012, Veerpalu Court Hearing Ends Today, Estonian Public Broadcasting News
28. August 2012, Veerpalu Appeal Decision Delayed, Estonian Public Broadcasting News
28. February 2013, Judgement Day for Veerpalu Doping Case: Result Expected Shortly, Estonian Public Broadcasting News
28. February 2013, Decision in Veerpalu Doping Case Postponed, The ruling will now come on March 25, ETV reported, Estonian Public Broadcasting News
Lausanne, 1 March 2013, Court of Arbitration for Sport: VEERPALU/FIS CASE: DECISION POSTPONED TO 25 MARCH 2013
Estonian Public Broadcasting: 25. March 2013, Veerpalu Decision Expected (Again)
26.03.2013, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING - CASE VEERPALU/ FIS: APPEAL UPHELD, tas-cas.org
FIS-Ski: CAS issues decision in the case of Veerpalu, fis-ski.com
Lausanne, 26 March 2013, The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) MEDIA RELEASE, CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING, CASE VEERPALU/FIS
CAS 2011/A/2566 Andrus Veerpalu v. International Ski Federation, ARBITRAL AWARD

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] FIS-Ski.com article on Veerpalu's victory. – accessed 1 March 2009.

[2] "Veerpalu Retires from Skiing On Eve of World Championships". ERR. Estonian Public Broadcasting. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2015.

[epl-3] Erik Rand. "Doktor Laasik: Veerpalu dopinguproovi tulemustes võib kahelda" [Doctor Laasik: One may doubt in the results of Veerpalu's doping test] (in Estonian). Eesti Päevaleht. Archived from the original on 10 April 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.

[sedman-4] Priit Luts, Oliver Kahu. "Biokeemik: tehis- ja loomulikku hormooni on raske eristada" [Biochemist: Artificial and natural hormone is difficult to distinguish]. Eesti Rahvusringhääling. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011.

[5] Tartu Ülikooli professor: Veerpalu dopingupatuseks nimetamine on ennatlik (Professor of the University of Tartu: It is untimely to condemn Veerpalu as guilty in doping) Archived 12 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine Eesti Päevaleht

[arbit-6] "VIDEO: Vandeadvokaat Aivar Pilv: vajadusel lähme arbitraažikohtusse" [Attorney Aivar Pilv: If necessary, we will to go to the Court of Arbitration]. sport.delfi.ee. 7 April 2011.

[7] "FIS otsustas: Andrus Veerpalu on süüdi". Eesti Päevaleht. 23 August 2011.

[8] Alaveri jätkamine peatreenerina sõltub FISi otsusest (Alaver's resumption as head coach depends on FIS's decision). Postimees

[kõks-9] "Veerpalu kaitsev teadlane kritiseerib dopingutesti usutavust" (in Estonian). Postimees.

[10] CAS issues decision in the case of Veerpalu International Ski Federation

[11] Andrus Veerpalu v International Ski Federation (CAS 2013).Text

[12] "NFL Players 'Hail' Veerpalu Verdict". Estonian Public Broadcasting. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.

[FISprofile-13] "Athlete : Veerpalu Andrus". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 14 March 2018.

[1]

Holmenkollen Medal
Until 1900	1895: Viktor Thorn (NOR) 1897: Asbjørn Nilssen (NOR) 1899: Paul Braaten (NOR), Robert Pehrson (NOR)
1900–1950	1901: Aksel Refstad (NOR) 1903: Karl Hovelsen (NOR) 1904: Harald Smith (NOR) 1905: Jonas Holmen (NOR) 1907: Per Bakken 1908: Einar Kristiansen (NOR) 1909: Thorvald Hansen 1910: Lauritz Bergendahl 1911: Otto Tangen (NOR), Knut Holst (NOR) 1912: Olav Bjaaland (NOR) 1914: Johan Kristoffersen (NOR) 1915: Sverre Østbye (NOR) 1916: Lars Høgvold (NOR) 1918: Hassa Horn (NOR), Jørgen Hansen (NOR) 1919: Thorleif Haug (NOR), Otto Aasen (NOR) 1923: Thoralf Strømstad (NOR) 1924: Harald Økern (NOR), Johan Grøttumsbråten (NOR) 1925: Einar Landvik (NOR) 1926: Jacob Tullin Thams 1927: Hagbart Haakonsen (NOR), Einar Lindboe (NOR) 1928: Torjus Hemmestveit (NOR), Mikkjel Hemmestveit (NOR) 1931: Hans Vinjarengen (NOR), Ole Stenen (NOR) 1934: Oddbjørn Hagen (NOR) 1935: Arne Rustadstuen (NOR) 1937: Olaf Hoffsbakken (NOR), Birger Ruud (NOR), Martin P. Vangsli (NOR) 1938: Reidar Andersen (NOR), Johan R. Henriksen (NOR) 1939: Sven Selånger (SWE), Lars Bergendahl (NOR), Trygve Brodahl (NOR) 1940: Oscar Gjøslien (NOR), Annar Ryen (NOR) 1947: Elling Rønes (NOR) 1948: Asbjørn Ruud (NOR) 1949: Sigmund Ruud (NOR) 1950: Olav Økern (NOR)
1951–2000	1951: Simon Slåttvik (NOR) 1952: Stein Eriksen (NOR), Torbjørn Falkanger (NOR), Heikki Hasu (FIN), Nils Karlsson (SWE) 1953: Magnar Estenstad (NOR) 1954: Martin Stokken (NOR) 1955: Haakon VII (NOR), Hallgeir Brenden (NOR), Veikko Hakulinen (FIN), Sverre Stenersen (NOR) 1956: Borghild Niskin (NOR), Arnfinn Bergmann (NOR), Arne Hoel (NOR) 1957: Eero Kolehmainen (FIN) 1958: Inger Bjørnbakken (NOR), Håkon Brusveen (NOR) 1959: Gunder Gundersen (NOR) 1960: Helmut Recknagel (GDR), Sixten Jernberg (SWE), Sverre Stensheim (NOR), Tormod Knutsen (NOR) 1961: Harald Grønningen (NOR) 1962: Toralf Engan (NOR) 1963: Alevtina Kolchina (URS), Pavel Kolchin (URS), Astrid Sandvik (NOR), Torbjørn Yggeseth (NOR) 1964: Veikko Kankkonen (FIN), Eero Mäntyranta (FIN), Georg Thoma (FRG), Halvor Næs (NOR) 1965: Arto Tiainen (FIN), Bengt Eriksson (SWE), Arne Larsen (NOR) 1967: Toini Gustafsson (SWE), Ole Ellefsæter (NOR) 1968: Olav V (NOR), Assar Rönnlund (SWE), Gjermund Eggen (NOR), Bjørn Wirkola (NOR) 1969: Odd Martinsen (NOR) 1970: Pål Tyldum (NOR) 1971: Marjatta Kajosmaa (FIN), Berit Mørdre (NOR), Reidar Hjermstad (NOR) 1972: Rauno Miettinen (FIN), Magne Myrmo (NOR) 1973: Einar Bergsland (NOR), Ingolf Mork (NOR), Franz Keller (FRG) 1974: Juha Mieto (FIN) 1975: Gerhard Grimmer (GDR), Oddvar Brå (NOR), Ivar Formo (NOR) 1976: Ulrich Wehling (GDR) 1977: Helena Takalo (FIN), Hilkka Kuntola (FIN), Walter Steiner (SUI) 1979: Ingemar Stenmark (SWE), Erik Håker (NOR), Raisa Smetanina (URS) 1980: Thomas Wassberg (SWE) 1981: Johan Sætre (NOR) 1983: Berit Aunli (NOR), Tom Sandberg (NOR) 1984: Lars Erik Eriksen (NOR), Jakob Vaage (NOR), Armin Kogler (AUT) 1985: Anette Bøe (NOR), Per Bergerud (NOR), Gunde Svan (SWE) 1986: Brit Pettersen (NOR) 1987: Matti Nykänen (FIN), Hermann Weinbuch (FRG) 1989: Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (FIN) 1991: Vegard Ulvang (NOR), Trond Einar Elden (NOR), Ernst Vettori (AUT), Jens Weißflog (GER) 1992: Yelena Välbe (RUS) 1993: Emil Kvanlid (NOR) 1994: Lyubov Yegorova (RUS), Vladimir Smirnov (KAZ), Espen Bredesen (NOR) 1995: Kenji Ogiwara (JPN) 1996: Manuela Di Centa (ITA) 1997: Bjarte Engen Vik (NOR), Stefania Belmondo (ITA), Bjørn Dæhlie (NOR) 1998: Fred Børre Lundberg (NOR), Larisa Lazutina (RUS), Alexey Prokurorov (RUS), Harri Kirvesniemi (FIN) 1999: Kazuyoshi Funaki (JPN)
Since 2001	2001: Adam Małysz (POL), Bente Skari (NOR), Thomas Alsgaard (NOR) 2003: Felix Gottwald (AUT), Ronny Ackermann (GER) 2004: Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) 2005: Andrus Veerpalu (EST) 2007: Frode Estil (NOR), Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset (NOR), Harald V (NOR), Sonja (NOR), Simon Ammann (SUI) 2010: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2011: Ole Einar Bjørndalen (NOR), Michael Greis (GER), Andrea Henkel (GER), Janne Ahonen (FIN) 2012: Magdalena Neuner (GER), Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 2013: Tora Berger (NOR), Martin Fourcade (FRA), Therese Johaug (NOR), Gregor Schlierenzauer (AUT) 2014: Magnus Moan (NOR), Eric Frenzel (GER), Thomas Morgenstern (AUT), Darya Domracheva (BLR) 2015: Eldar Rønning (NOR), Anders Bardal (NOR), Anette Sagen (NOR), Kamil Stoch (POL) 2016: Noriaki Kasai (JPN), Tarjei Bø (NOR) 2017: Marie Dorin-Habert (FRA), Sara Takanashi (JPN) 2018: Charlotte Kalla (SWE), Princess Astrid (NOR), Hannu Manninen (FIN), Kaisa Mäkäräinen (FIN)