German biathlon relay awarded Sochi 2014 Olympic gold after 12 years

Twelve years later: German biathlon relay receives Olympic gold

The long wait is over for Germany’s biathlon relay: twelve years after Sochi, Erik Lesser and his former relay teammates have been awarded Olympic gold. The retroactive reallocation is the result of findings about state-run Russian doping.

On Sunday (15 February 2026) the German quartet Erik Lesser, Daniel Böhm, Arnd Peiffer and Simon Schempp received their relay gold medals from the Sochi 2014 Games in an official ceremony held in Antholz (Anterselva). The arena was packed — almost 20,000 spectators attended the presentation.

Emotional moment for the former athletes

The four men, all long since retired, described the medal ceremony as an especially emotional moment. “Until just before we went on the podium it felt unemotional, but on the podium it started to tingle,” Daniel Böhm said to Sportschau. Simon Schempp added: “Standing in front of the podium — that is something special.” Erik Lesser said: “The moment shortly before the podium was very emotional.”

Schempp was pleased that other nations also took part

Schempp, 37, said he had long avoided singing the national anthem but managed it at the ceremony. He also welcomed that the Austrians (second place in 2014) and the Norwegians (third) — including stars such as Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Johannes Thingnes Bø and Tarjei Bø — had travelled to Antholz to take part: “That the other nations were there too — you have experienced so much, it connects you and it’s beautiful. And finally to receive the gold medal.”

Peiffer: “This won’t happen again”

Arnd Peiffer, 38, who now owns two Olympic gold medals, commented on the odd feeling of the reclassification: “It sounds good but still feels a bit strange. The role change is a bit odd — suddenly standing on the podium as a gold medallist. That won’t happen again,” he said, laughing.

Legal process and background

The decision ended a long legal process related to the doping case of Yevgeny Ustyugov. The case was triggered and driven in part by the ARD documentary “Geheimsache Doping,” which, with the help of whistleblowers, exposed Russia’s state-backed doping program.

On 22 February 2014 Simon Schempp had finished 3.5 seconds behind Russia’s Anton Shipulin in a gripping finish in Sochi. Later investigations established that Ustyugov had doped; his results from 2010–2014 were annulled after appeals failed in all courts.

In September 2025 the IOC executive board decided to reallocate medals: all of Ustyugov’s results between 2010 and 2014 were annulled. The McLaren Report and subsequent investigations by WADA and others had documented systematic state doping in Russia. As a consequence, medals were redistributed — for example Martin Fourcade was also retrospectively awarded gold for the 2010 mass start where he had been placed behind Ustyugov.

Source: vs/sid/dpa