Kaisa Varis
Encyclopedia
Kaisa Varis is a retired Finnish
cross country skier and biathlete. Her career has been marred by doping
convictions: as a cross country skiier, she was involved but not suspended in a doping scandal and in 2003 she was suspended two years for doping use. After her suspension, she returned as a biathlete
in 2007, but in 2008 she received a lifetime ban from all International Biathlon Union
competitions after another positive doping test. However, her lifetime ban was overturned in March 2009 because the Court of Arbitration for Sport
ruled that the IBU failed to adhere to correct testing procedures; she remains eligible to compete in biathlon.
, but she is better known for her doping
controversies at those championships: Varis was part of the 4×5 km relay that was disqualified when fellow skiers Virpi Kuitunen
and Milla Jauho
were disqualified for taking hydroxyethyl starch
, a banned blood plasma
expander. Varis was originally implicated, but later was cleared in this scandal.
Varis's best individual finish at the Winter Olympics was fourth in the 15 km at Salt Lake City in 2002
. She also has ten individual career victories at various distances from 1998 to 2002.
Two years after the first doping incident, at the 2003 World Championships
in Val di Fiemme
, she was suspended for five days before the event's start due to a high hemoglobin
count, though was allowed to compete when a second test came back five days later with a lower count. Varis attended the 30 km event, but was later disqualified for taking EPO
, an endurance-enhancing drug, and served a two-year suspension as a result.
Though she qualified, she did not compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Torino, because she was excluded by Finland's Olympic committee
.
on March 2, 2007, in Lahti
, Finland
, by finishing 70th in the 7.5 km sprint race. On November 30, 2007, she finished fifth in the 7.5 km sprint event in Kontiolahti
. On January 11, 2008, Varis scored her first victory in a biathlon World Cup race in the 7.5 km sprint event in Ruhpolding
, Germany
, but it was later voided because of her positive doping test.
On January 24, 2008, it was made public that at least the A sample from a test for prohibited substances on January 6 had again tested positive for EPO. Varis denied any doping. However, on January 31, 2008, the IBU
announced, that the B sample confirmed the results; due to this case, the Finnish Biathlon Association did not register Varis for the 2008 World Championships
. Despite her first ban coming as a cross-country skier, she was considered a repeat offender by the IBU Executive Board
and banned from the sport for life on February 11, 2008.
In March 2008 she announced her intention to appeal to overturn the ban. In March 2009 the Court of Arbitration for Sport
ruled that the International Biathlon Union had violated Varis' rights under the World Anti-Doping Agency
's code by refusing to allow her or a representative to be present when her backup sample was opened for testing. Because of that, her backup sample could not be used as evidence against her, and her ban was overturned.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
cross country skier and biathlete. Her career has been marred by doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
convictions: as a cross country skiier, she was involved but not suspended in a doping scandal and in 2003 she was suspended two years for doping use. After her suspension, she returned as a biathlete
Biathlon
Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
in 2007, but in 2008 she received a lifetime ban from all International Biathlon Union
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
competitions after another positive doping test. However, her lifetime ban was overturned in March 2009 because the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
ruled that the IBU failed to adhere to correct testing procedures; she remains eligible to compete in biathlon.
Cross country skiing
In cross country skiing, Varis competed from 1995 to 2006. Her biggest success was the win of the bronze medal in the 15 km at the 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 took place February 15–25, 2001 in Lahti, Finland for a record sixth time, previous events being held in 1926, 1938, 1958, 1978 and 1989...
, but she is better known for her doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
controversies at those championships: Varis was part of the 4×5 km relay that was disqualified when fellow skiers Virpi Kuitunen
Virpi Kuitunen
Virpi Katriina Sarasvuo is a Finnish cross country skier who competed from 1995 to 2010. She won a bronze medal in the team sprint event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and earned her best individual finish of fifth in the individual sprint event in those same games...
and Milla Jauho
Milla Jauho
Milla Saari is a former Finnish cross country skier who competed from 1994 to 2007. She was best known for her doping role in the 2001 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships doping scandal that would affect five other Finnish skiers for taking hydroxyethyl starch , a blood plasma expander...
were disqualified for taking hydroxyethyl starch
Hydroxyethyl starch
Hydroxyethyl starch is a nonionic starch derivative. It is one of the most frequently used volume expander under the trade names Hespan by B. Braun Medical Inc...
, a banned blood plasma
Blood plasma
Blood plasma is the straw-colored liquid component of blood in which the blood cells in whole blood are normally suspended. It makes up about 55% of the total blood volume. It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid...
expander. Varis was originally implicated, but later was cleared in this scandal.
Varis's best individual finish at the Winter Olympics was fourth in the 15 km at Salt Lake City in 2002
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
. She also has ten individual career victories at various distances from 1998 to 2002.
Two years after the first doping incident, at the 2003 World Championships
2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 took place February 18-March 1, 2003 in Val di Fiemme, Italy for a second time . The ski jumping team normal hill held in 2001 was not held at this championships while the women's 30 km returned after being cancelled in the previous championships due to...
in Val di Fiemme
Val di Fiemme
thumb|300px|Location of the Fiemme Valley in [[Trentino]].thumb|300px|The [[Lagorai]] seen from [[Passo Lusia]].Fiemme Valley is a valley in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region in northern Italy located in the Dolomites mountain region....
, she was suspended for five days before the event's start due to a high hemoglobin
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein in the red blood cells of all vertebrates, with the exception of the fish family Channichthyidae, as well as the tissues of some invertebrates...
count, though was allowed to compete when a second test came back five days later with a lower count. Varis attended the 30 km event, but was later disqualified for taking EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
, an endurance-enhancing drug, and served a two-year suspension as a result.
Though she qualified, she did not compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Torino, because she was excluded by Finland's Olympic committee
Finnish Olympic Committee
The Finnish Olympic Committee is the national Olympic committee in Finland for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Finnish competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .- Presidents :* Reinhold...
.
Biathlon
Varis switched from cross country skiing to biathlon and made her debut in the Biathlon World CupBiathlon World Cup
The Biathlon World Cup has been held since the winter seasons of 1977/78 and 1982/83, for men and women, respectively ....
on March 2, 2007, in Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, by finishing 70th in the 7.5 km sprint race. On November 30, 2007, she finished fifth in the 7.5 km sprint event in Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti
Kontiolahti is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
. On January 11, 2008, Varis scored her first victory in a biathlon World Cup race in the 7.5 km sprint event in Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding
Ruhpolding is a municipality of the Traunstein district in southeastern Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the south of the Chiemgau region in the Alps. Ruhpolding has a population of approximately 6,400....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, but it was later voided because of her positive doping test.
On January 24, 2008, it was made public that at least the A sample from a test for prohibited substances on January 6 had again tested positive for EPO. Varis denied any doping. However, on January 31, 2008, the IBU
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
announced, that the B sample confirmed the results; due to this case, the Finnish Biathlon Association did not register Varis for the 2008 World Championships
Biathlon World Championships 2008
The 42nd Biathlon World Championships were held in Östersund in Jämtland in central Sweden from February 8 to February 17, 2008. It was the second time Östersund was hosting the Biathlon World Championships, the first being in 1970...
. Despite her first ban coming as a cross-country skier, she was considered a repeat offender by the IBU Executive Board
International Biathlon Union
The International Biathlon Union, IBU, is the international governing body of biathlon. Its headquarters are in Salzburg, Austria.- History :The International Biathlon Union was founded on 2 July 1993...
and banned from the sport for life on February 11, 2008.
In March 2008 she announced her intention to appeal to overturn the ban. In March 2009 the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
ruled that the International Biathlon Union had violated Varis' rights under the World Anti-Doping Agency
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
's code by refusing to allow her or a representative to be present when her backup sample was opened for testing. Because of that, her backup sample could not be used as evidence against her, and her ban was overturned.
See also
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences