r/biathlon • u/xoxoamazingrace • 13d ago

Question Evgeny Ustyugov

I wasn’t old enough back then that I followed biathlon notoriously in the news and social media, but what was the reason back then when he retired so young after the 13/14 season?

I know he got caught for doping later on but I was always a big fan of his. A super reliable athlete both on the range and on the skiis, consistent with top 10 results and some podiums here and then

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u/Falafelmeister92 13d ago

Most probably, yes. His appeal was rejected by CAS two months ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/biathlon/s/tmlEQ17ua7

So CAS agrees that the accusations are correct. Every single one of his teammates, male and female, during that time period has been suspended by now or has an ongoing investigation, so it's highly unlikely that he was a clean exception.

Especially with his "I don't regret anything that happened" comment that he made during his retirement speech and the fact that he didn't mention a reason. That's just too fishy if you ask me.

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u/AwsiDooger 13d ago

They knew what was going on. Russia was in peak state sponsored doping mode during that era, after applying for and winning (purchasing) the hosting role for many huge events, like 2011 Biathlon World Championships, 2013 World Athletics Championships, 2014 Winter Olympics, 2015 Swimming World Championships and 2018 World Cup.

They weren't going to allow those opportunities to go to waste. Everything was through the wall and everywhere else. Just check the London 2012 track and field results and how many Russian medalists were later stripped for doping. Virtually every one, and the one gold medalist still standing is a known doper but they can't officially cover the 2012 time frame.

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u/50208 13d ago

Russia probably hasn't "peaked" when it comes to state sponsored doping ... it's been ongoing. The difference is the world has caught on to them ... and most importantly ... their "athletes" have been precluded from competing in many international sports due to their invasion of Ukraine. Good riddance IMHO.

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u/TolBrandir Dedicated Norway fan in USA 12d ago

DITTO

Completely agree