Yuri Borodavko, the head coach of the Russian national team, argues that athletes who receive therapeutic exemptions for medical reasons related to illegal drug use should be treated as doping cases.
He stated, “All athletes with therapeutic exemptions are doping agents, including those with asthma. Because they can access doping substances, they are effectively covered by anti-doping laboratory permissions and are kept on doping regimens. There is more behind these seemingly harmless medications.”
Borodavko added that once treatment permits are lifted, a strikingly different picture could emerge even within the Norwegian team, suggesting a broader impact on performance assessments. The remark was reported by DEA News.
Earlier, Doctor Uwe Verangen highlighted the prevalence of asthma among Norwegian cross-country skiers and the use of medication to manage the condition.
He noted that at the World Championships, somewhere between half and roughly seven tenths of the Norwegian squad were diagnosed with asthma and were on treatment. The expert stressed that this proportion had remained stable over several years.
Alexander Bolshunov, a three-time Olympic champion and world champion in cross-country skiing, responded with a lighthearted remark to Johannes Klebo after Klebo’s victory at the Championship Heights event, underscoring the competitive nature of the sport and the ongoing discussions surrounding asthma management and performance.