A dozen skiers caught for fluor use at Vasaloppet
Before Vasaloppet, the organizer announced that extensive testing for fluor use would be conducted, both before the start and after the finish.
The fluor testing was conducted on randomly selected skiers. From the tests before the start, nine skiers tested ‘red’ for fluor, while a dozen tested ‘red’ for fluor use after finishing in Mora.
No Ski Classics skiers caught
Fluor testing was conducted randomly among recreational skiers. In the elite class, the skis of all skiers in the Ski Classics Pro Tour were tested at Vasaloppet. No one was caught for fluor use there.
Among the recreational skiers, however, a dozen participants were caught. This was confirmed by Vasaloppet’s general manager, Johan Eriksson, to SVT.
“After the finish at Vasaloppet, we did tests throughout the afternoon and evening,” says Eriksson.
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Avoided disqualification
If elite skiers had tested ‘red’ in the fluor control, they would have been disqualified. That is the Ski Classics and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) rule.
However, different rules applied for recreational skiers at Vasaloppet.
“The rule was that you would be last on the result list. In the amateur groups, one was not disqualified, and one is considered to have completed the competition,” says Eriksson.
A dozen ‘red’ fluor tests is a result the organizer is satisfied with.
“It went excellently. Few have had fluor under their skis, and it shows that people have followed the recommendations,” says Vasaloppet general manager Johan Eriksson to SVT.