Retrospective Olympic gold awarded to German biathletes from Sochi 2014

Germany’s men’s biathlon relay team from the 2014 Sochi Olympics will be upgraded to gold eleven years later following an IOC Executive Board decision announced in Milan. The reallocation comes after Russian athlete Evgeny Ustyugov lost his final appeal at Switzerland’s Federal Supreme Court, confirming an earlier CAS ruling that sanctioned him for a biological passport doping violation and annulled his results from 2010 to 2014.

In Sochi, Germany’s quartet of Arnd Peiffer, Erik Lesser, Daniel Böhm, and Simon Schempp originally finished second, 3.5 seconds behind Russia. With Russia’s disqualification, the Germans are now recognized as Olympic champions. The IOC indicated that athletes can choose the venue for the medal ceremony, noting the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo (February 6–22, 2026) as a possible option. Erik Lesser had previously said he would welcome receiving the medals in Cortina given its proximity and symbolism.

The CAS first sanctioned Ustyugov in October 2020 based on abnormalities in his biological passport. His lawyers argued the elevated hemoglobin values were due to a hereditary genetic anomaly present in his parents as well, but the CAS rejected that defense, and the Swiss court has now upheld that outcome.

The reallocation also affects Vancouver 2010: France’s Martin Fourcade, who finished second to Ustyugov in the mass start, will be upgraded to Olympic gold—his sixth Olympic title.

Source: SID (via Sportschau)