Ski Racing Roundup: Johann Muehlegg, U-23s, Madison and Crested Butte

Ski Racing Roundup: Johann Muehlegg, U-23s, Madison and Crested Butte{mosimage}This winter, skiracing.com will be home to weekly news roundups, leading you to regional and international developments you may have missed. Following our website re-launch on October 21, you can check in each Wednesday for Mark Eller’s roundup of the latest nordic news. If you have comments about the site, contact the editor at webeditor@insideinc.com, and if you have comments for Mark Eller, e-mail him directly at meller@insideinc.com.

Johann Muehlegg, disgraced after Salt Lake, retires from competition

Spanish skier Johann Muehlegg has lost all three of the gold medals he won in Salt Lake, according to a report posted by the BBC. Muehlegg’s brother and agent, Martin Muehlegg, confirmed Johann would not compete professionally again.

The Spanish skier tested positive at the 2002 Winter Olympics for the blood-boosting drug darbepoetin. His brother said, “He intends to participate in non-professional races, but his sporting career is over.”

The German-born skier failed a test after winning the 50km classical event in Salt Lake City. Muehlegg received a two-year ban for his doping offence; the International Olympic Committee allowed him to keep two other golds because urine tests after those races were clear.

But the Court of Arbitration for Sport, acting on appeals by Norway and Canada, ruled last December that Muehlegg should be stripped of all his medals and results from the Games.

FIS Under-23 championships canceled

The 2005 FIS U-23 Championships, which were held at Soldier Hollow, Utah, last season, have been canceled. Originally approved in May to take place as a part of the Junior World Championships in Rovaniemi, Finland, the competitions had to be moved when the organizers decided that it would not be logistically possible to add another field of athletes so close to the competition.

When a replacement organizer for the stand-alone U-23 event could not be found for the 2005 seaon, the FIS decided instead to add a U-23 class to a normal Europa Cup January 20-23, and to wait for a season to re-start the U-23 only World Championship competitions, which will take place during the World Junior Championships in 2006 in Kranj, Slovenia.

Therefore, USSA will not select a team for the 2005 FIS U-23 Championship. Team selection information for the 2006 Championship will be posted to the “Selection Criteria” section of at the team’s website.

Madison’s Capitol Square to get nordic sprints in January

The nordic sprint event scheduled for Madison, Wisconsin, now has a home: Capitol Square in downtown Madison. Like the city-center sprints in Dusseldorf, Germany, and Stockholm, Sweden, the Capitol Square Sprints aim to bring cross-country racing into an urban setting. Locals are already getting fired up for the event, as officials plan to truck in snow for the 250 adult racers, 600 juniors and 10,000 spectators anticipated for the races on January 15-17.

19th Annual Alley Loop Nordic Marathon in Crested Butte, Colorado

A qualifier for the American Birkebeiner, Crested Butte’s Alley Loop race features a unique course that runs through snow-lined alleys, behind false-fronted stores and restaurants, over footbridges and alongside residences before heading out to the pristine outskirts of Crested Butte, Colorado. Multiple races (with great prizes for each event) are scheduled, for all ages and abilities. The event date is February 5; races kick off with a 1K and 3K mass start at 10:00 a.m., followed by the 42K mass start at 11:00 a.m, 21K at 11:05, 10K at 11:10, and the 5K at 11:15. The snowshoe 5K and 10k (mass start for both) begins at 12:00 p.m. Click here for complete information.

Previous Ski Racing Roundups:

INTERNATIONAL, September 15, 2004

DOMESTIC, September 28, 2004

NORDIC, September 29, 2004

INTERNATIONAL, September 30, 2004

DOMESTIC, October 5, 2004

NORDIC, October 6, 2004

INTERNATIONAL, October 7, 2004

DOMESTIC, October 12, 2004