15 years late

Sumann can be happy about Olympic bronze!

Christoph Sumann(Bild: GEPA)

More than 15 years after the biathlon mass start race at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the IOC has officially awarded Christoph Sumann the bronze medal!

The Styrian has subsequently moved up to third place, as the original winner Yevgeny Ustyugov has been definitively disqualified for doping offenses. This was announced by the International Olympic Committee on Friday after the Executive Committee meeting. The Frenchman Martin Fourcade inherits gold from the Russian Ustyugov.

"Justice has been served!"
Due to Ustyugov's involvement in the Russian state doping scandal at the 2014 Winter Games, Austria and relay team member Sumann had already been moved up from third to second place in the team competition in Sochi. "The decisive factor is that the system has remained persistent. Even if it took a long time, it's important to bring it to a clean end. Justice has been served," said Sumann, who is now Sports Director Biathlon at the ÖSV. "Unfortunately, the emotions have been lost, but we will still celebrate the medals in style."

"When we first heard about the disqualification, Martin Fourcade contacted me. He is part of the IOC Athletes' Commission and learned that the reallocation could take place as part of the 2026 Winter Olympics."

Christoph Sumann

In May of this year, the Swiss Federal Supreme Court rejected two appeals by Ustjugov against decisions by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding his doping ban and the annulment of his competition results. It had been the last legal option for him. As a result, all of Ustyugov's results between January 24, 2010 and the end of the 2013/2014 season were canceled. 

Ceremony in Milan/Cortina?
The IOC's decision to reallocate the medals was merely a formality. In consultation with the local organizers and the International Biathlon Union (IBU), the IOC will offer the option of presenting the newly awarded medals to their winners at a ceremony during the 2026 Games in Milan/Cortina.

"When we first heard about the disqualification, Martin Fourcade contacted me. He is part of the IOC Athletes' Commission and found out that the new award could be made as part of the 2026 Winter Olympics. That would of course be a cool stage - and afterwards we would celebrate at Austria House in Cortina," said Sumann.

The IBU assumes that the Russians manipulated data in the Moscow control laboratory in the course of the scandal surrounding state doping at the home games in Sochi 2014. In addition, anomalies were found in Ustyugov's biological blood passport.