Andrus Veerpalu
Encyclopedia
Andrus Veerpalu (born 8 February 1971 in Pärnu
) is a former and so far the most successful Estonia
n male cross country skier.
On 17 February 2006 he won his second Winter Olympics gold medal (in 15 km cross country skiing; his previous gold medal is from the Salt Lake City
games), becoming the fourth Estonian
to have won two Olympic gold medals (Kristjan Palusalu
, Erika Salumäe
and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi are the first three). He is the most successful Olympic athlete from Estonia with three medals. (Kristina Šmigun-Vähi tied that record at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
)
Veerpalu has also found success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
, winning a gold at 15 km in 2009 at Liberec, 30 km in 2001 at Lahti and a silver at 50 km in 1999 at Ramsau. He has also won the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
in 2003 and 2005. Veerpalu also competed in the men's 50 km, Mass Start Classic at the 2010 Winter Olympics
, finishing at the 6th place.
Andrus Veerpalu became the oldest world champion in history with his victory at Liberec 2009
on the 15 km classical event. He was then 38 years old. He is also the oldest Olympic champion in individual distance.
Veerpalu earned the Holmenkollen medal
in 2005, the first Estonian to do so.
Veerpalu is the fourth athlete to compete in cross-country skiing at six Winter Olympics, after Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
, Harri Kirvesniemi
, and Jochen Behle
. (Kateřina Neumannová
is also a cross-country skier who competed at six Olympics, but one of her appearances was in cycling.)
On 23 February 2011, Veerpalu announced that he will end his professional sportsman career. Although Veerpalu's team first claimed medical issues (knee injury and/or flu), later in that year it was announced that Veerpalu tested positive for HGH (growth hormone
) but pleaded innocent in HGH treatment
. Estonian biochemistry doctors explained that the verdict was untimely and that there was no reliable method to distinguish artificial HGH from natural background hormone. Veerpalu appealed the test result to the FIS and is ready to turn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
.
The FIS antidoping commision founded Veerpalu guilty and extended his ban to three years, due to Veerpalu's team's lack of co-operation with FIS. A group of top Estonian biochemists investigated the matter and insist Veerpalu is false positive.
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
) is a former and so far the most successful Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n male cross country skier.
On 17 February 2006 he won his second Winter Olympics gold medal (in 15 km cross country skiing; his previous gold medal is from the Salt Lake City
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...
games), becoming the fourth Estonian
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
to have won two Olympic gold medals (Kristjan Palusalu
Kristjan Palusalu
Kristjan Palusalu was an Estonian heavyweight wrestler and Olympic winner....
, Erika Salumäe
Erika Salumäe
Erika Salumäe is an Estonian track bicycle racer who won the first Olympic gold medal for Estonia after the country regained its independence in 1991.She was born in Pärnu. She trained at VSS Kalev in Tallinn...
and Kristina Šmigun-Vähi are the first three). He is the most successful Olympic athlete from Estonia with three medals. (Kristina Šmigun-Vähi tied that record at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
)
Veerpalu has also found success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
, winning a gold at 15 km in 2009 at Liberec, 30 km in 2001 at Lahti and a silver at 50 km in 1999 at Ramsau. He has also won the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
in 2003 and 2005. Veerpalu also competed in the men's 50 km, Mass Start Classic at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, finishing at the 6th place.
Andrus Veerpalu became the oldest world champion in history with his victory at Liberec 2009
Cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic, twelve cross-country skiing events were held with six for men and six for women. The format of the program has been unchanged since the 2005 World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany...
on the 15 km classical event. He was then 38 years old. He is also the oldest Olympic champion in individual distance.
Veerpalu earned the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 2005, the first Estonian to do so.
Veerpalu is the fourth athlete to compete in cross-country skiing at six Winter Olympics, after Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi is a former Finnish cross country skier. She was the big figure at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, winning all three individual cross country skiing events , and a bronze medal for Finland in the relay...
, Harri Kirvesniemi
Harri Kirvesniemi
Harri Tapani Kirvesniemi is a Finnish former cross country skier who competed from 1980 to 2001. During his career he won six Olympic medals , and also the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 2000...
, and Jochen Behle
Jochen Behle
Jochen Behle is a former German cross-country skier who competed from 1982 to 1998.Competing in five Winter Olympics, he earned his best career finish of fourth in the 4 x 10 km relay at Lillehammer in 1994 and his best individual finish of 11th in the 10 km event at those same games.Behle's best...
. (Kateřina Neumannová
Katerina Neumannová
Kateřina Neumannová is a retired Czech cross country skier. She was a flatwater canoeist and downhill skier before moving to cross country skiing at sixteen...
is also a cross-country skier who competed at six Olympics, but one of her appearances was in cycling.)
On 23 February 2011, Veerpalu announced that he will end his professional sportsman career. Although Veerpalu's team first claimed medical issues (knee injury and/or flu), later in that year it was announced that Veerpalu tested positive for HGH (growth hormone
Growth hormone
Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior...
) but pleaded innocent in HGH treatment
HGH treatment for athletic enhancement
Growth hormone in sports refers to the use of human growth hormones for athletic enhancement, as opposed to growth hormone treatment for medical therapy. Use for this purpose is illegal in most jurisdictions, including the United States of America and Europe....
. Estonian biochemistry doctors explained that the verdict was untimely and that there was no reliable method to distinguish artificial HGH from natural background hormone. Veerpalu appealed the test result to the FIS and is ready to turn to 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...
.
The FIS antidoping commision founded Veerpalu guilty and extended his ban to three years, due to Veerpalu's team's lack of co-operation with FIS. A group of top Estonian biochemists investigated the matter and insist Veerpalu is false positive.
Individual World Cup races
6 wins (6 Individual, 0 Sprint)| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 12 March 2005 |  OsloOslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
50k |
| 8 January 2005 |  OtepääOtepää Otepää is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it's the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Town has a population of 2,189 . Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia... |
15k |
| 17 January 2004 |  Nove MestoNove Mesto Nove Mesto, meaning "New Town" in Czech and Slovak, may refer to:* Nové Město , places in the Czech Republic* Nové Mesto , places in Slovakia and Hungary... |
15k |
| 13 December 2003 |  DavosDavos Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range... |
15k |
| 8 March 2003 | Oslo Oslo Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... |
50k |
| 15 February 2003 |  AsiagoAsiago Asiago is the name of both a minor township and the surrounding plateau region in the Province of Vicenza in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy... |
10k |
Personal life
He is married to Angela Veerpalu and they have four children: Andreas (b. 1994), Anette, Anders, and Anlourdees.See also
- List of athletes with the most appearances at Olympic Games
- List of doping cases in sport