Sad News for Our Sport - Improving My Life Result to 8th place at World Champs

Very dissapointing news came to our ski-o world this morning. Russian Ski-Orienteer Polina Frolova has got a positive results to her anti-doping test from World Championship 2017. It was found out she had used a prohibited substance Melodinium. All her results from this season inlcuding EC and WC are gonna be disqualified. More information here

As Polina ranked very high in all international races, all my EC and WC results are gonna move one place higher (except from EC relay). It means my life best result 9th place at WC long distance will improve even one more position to 8th place. But this is the only positive part on this news.

WC Long 9th place >> WC Long 8th place

WC Middle 21st place >> WC Middle 20th place

WC Sprint 22nd place >> WC Sprint 21st place

EC Relay 4th place

EC Middle 22nd place >> EC Middle 21st place

EC Sprint 26th place >> EC Sprint 25th place

I am sad to see the behaviour of Russian athletes. I wanted to believe (ski-)orienteerers are different from other athletes. In my mind, (ski-)orienteering is clear friendly and fair sport . It is less commerical which means also less money to our sport. I did believe this can keep all o-athletes to play fair.

I definitely don't want to say all athletes in Russia are same. It is just sad to see the increasing number of athletes with positive effect and especially, in our "little" sport. And it does not help to the trust.

I don't know the circumstances of this case but the result is clear. There are no exceptions (ok, bans of Maria Sharapova or Therese Johaug are pretty questionable).

This is a very first positive anti-doping result in the (ski-)orienteering history. I hope, this case is and will be an exception and all the athletes from all countries will keep playing and competing fair. DOPING IS NOT A WAY TO BE HAPPY FROM YOUR RESULTS!