Doping returns to rock Winter Games

Doping struck the Winter Olympics yesterday, ruining hopes Turin would be remembered for its clean sports competition after the drugs scandals of the 2004 Athens Summer Games. Russian Olga Pyleva, who won the silver medal in Monday's 15-km individual biathlon, was thrown out and stripped of her medal after the International Olympic Committee confirmed a positive doping test.

She became the first athlete after five full days of competition to have tested positive in Italy during pre-Games testing.

"Doping cases are things that happen in Olympic Games. We have to tackle that and we are doing that with great energy," IOC President Jacques Rogge told Reuters television.

Pyleva tested positive for carphedon, a banned stimulant, on February 13 after the women's 15-km individual biathlon.

She now faces an Italian criminal prosecution, under Italy's strict anti-doping laws.

Nikolai Durmanov, head of the anti-doping inspection at the Russian Olympic Commission, said Pyleva had taken the banned stimulant inadvertently in some medicine.

"On the packet it had nothing saying it contained carphedon ... It even has instructions saying it can be used by athletes," he told reporters.

It did not impress Germany's Martina Glagow who was elevated into the silver medal spot from bronze in the 15-km individual biathlon.

"I don't want the silver medal. If I didn't win it on the track, it's useless," she told Reuters. "I'm shocked. I've known Pyleva for a long time and really didn't expect something like this."

Russia's Albina Akhatova was promoted from fourth to bronze medallist.

World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound added to the sense that the battle against doping in Olympic sport was far from won, by saying he suspected that several cross-country skiers had taken banned substances.

"Frankly, we think we are dealing with doping," Pound, also an IOC member, told Reuters. "It is too much of a coincidence to have 12 athletes with hugely high Hb (haemoglobin) levels just before the Games."

The International Skiing Federation (FIS) had suspended the 12 for five days due to health concerns, saying the likely cause was high altitude training.

Seven had reduced levels cells after re-testing and have been allowed to compete. Only one, a Belarussian, Sergey Dolidovich, must serve a further suspension after his red blood cell count did not drop sufficiently.

"I think we are going to have another look (after the Games). It is easier to deal with it as a health problem than doping problem," Pound said. "They (FIS) might be afraid that they are not able to prove that they were drugged."

The re-emergence of doping overshadowed Estonia's Kristina Smigun's achievement to become the first to win two gold medals at the Games when she triumphed in driving rain in the women's cross-country skiing 10-km classical event, starting off the sixth day.

Smigun, winner of the 15-km pursuit on Sunday, beat favourite Marit Bjoergen of Norway.

French biathlete Florence Baverel-Robert surprisingly won gold in the 7.5-km Olympic sprint, which involves skiing and shooting, while Norway's Hilde Pedersen took the honour of being the oldest woman to win an Olympic Winter Games medal.

Pedersen, who is 41 years and 189 days, took bronze in the cross-country skiing 10-km classical event.

Austria won the Nordic combined team event for the first time in their history and Seth Wescott of the United States raced to gold as snowboard cross made a thrilling Olympic debut.

Maya Pedersen gave Switzerland their first gold medal of the Turin Games with two perfect runs down the tricky Cesana track in women's skeleton. Britain's Shelley Rudman won a surprise silver, her country's first medal of the Games.

Germany won the women's speedskating team pursuit gold beating Canada in the final - Anni Friesinger and Claudia Pechstein burying their on and off track rivalry for once.

Plushenko wins gold

Yevgeny Plushenko performed a pulsating free skate to win the men's title, keeping alive Russia's chances of completing an historic sweep of all four figure skating gold medals.

The overwhelming favourite let out a huge sigh of relief and kissed the ice as he outclassed world champion Stephane Lambiel by a huge margin of 27.12 points to become the fifth consecutive Russian or Soviet man to win the crown.

Before the doping case was announced, officials had been saying how pleased they were with the Games. "On day six, we are now seeing the Olympic Games really getting into their stride," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. "They are really focusing on sport and on the athletes which at the end of the day is what it is all about."