Johann Mühlegg is a German-born cross-country skier who has competed in several international competitions representing Spain after becoming a Spanish citizen in 1999. He was excluded from the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City due to doping.
Mühlegg participated for Germany in the 1992, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympic Games, though he began having trouble with the country's ski federation in 1993, ultimately leading to his departure from the national team after the 1998 Games. His good relations with members of the Spanish cross-country skiing team, in particular Juan Jesús Gutierrez and Haritz Zunzunegui, opened the door for Mühlegg to obtain a Spanish citizenship.
In late 1999, competing for Spain, he won a World Cup race for the first time. Three years later, in Lahti, he won two medals; one silver (he finished third in the race, but the skier who finished second was disqualified for nandrolone use), and one gold medal (in the 50 km free-style race).
In the 2002 Winter Olympic Games he won gold medals in the 30 km freestyle and 10 km pursuit races, the successes gaining him congratulations from King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Mühlegg finished first in the 50 km classical race held on the final Saturday of the Games, February 23, but was disqualified from that race and was expelled from the Games the next day, after testing positive for darbepoetin¹ (which boosts red blood cell count; the substance was not banned at that time since it had only recently been developed).
Following the darbepoetin scandal, the IOC initially let Mühlegg keep his two gold medals from the first two races, but in December 2003 a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found that these medals should also be withdrawn. The CAS remitted this case, as well as a similar one involving Olga Danilova of Russia, to the IOC Executive Board, where the actual amending of the rankings will have to be effectuated.
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