Yulia Anatolyevna Chepalova (; born 23 December 1976 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russian SFSR) is a former Russian cross-country skier.
Early and current personal life Daughter of a cross-country skiing coach, Chepalova started to ski as soon as she began to walk. Coached by her father, Anatoly Chepalov, Yulia made her debut in 1986 and continued to move upward through the old Soviet system (and later Russian, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in late 1991). Chepalov, a coach of the Russian junior national team, reportedly sold off all of his assets to help finance his daughter's career. Chepalova is currently affiliated with Dynamo Moscow, lives in Syktyvkar with her second husband, Vasily Rochev, and her daughter Olesya, and their daughter Vaselina who was born in February 2007; works as a sports instructor, and speaks, besides her native Russian, also some German.
Skiing career Debuting on the FIS cross-country circuit in the 1995–1996 season, Chepalova has continually ranked in the Top 15 throughout her career (the lone exception is the 2002–2003 season, where she took maternity leave to have her daughter Olesya), finishing #1 overall in 2000–2001 (#3 in 2005–2006 with #1 in the distance category (greater than 5 km)). This includes success at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, with golds in the 4 × 5 km relay (2001) and 7.5 km + 7.5 km double pursuit (2005), silvers in the 4 × 5 km relay and 10 km freestyle (both 2005), and bronzes in the Individual sprint (2001) and Team sprint (2005). Additionally, Chepalova has won the women's 30 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival three times (1999, 2004, and 2006), joining fellow Russian cross-country skier Larisa Lazutina as the only three-time winners of the event. She earned the Holmenkollen medal in 2004.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics, Chepalova won the women's 30 km freestyle event in her Olympic debut, becoming the youngest winner of that event (and in women's cross-country skiing). Four years later at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Chepalova won a complete set of medals with gold in the individual sprint, silver in the 10 km classical, and bronze in the 15 km freestyle. At the Winter Olympics in Turin, Chepalova would win two more medals with a gold in the 4 × 5 km relay and a silver in the 30 km freestyle mass start.
Chepalova was absent from the cross-country skiing World Cup for the 2006–2007 season due to her pregnancy.
She tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO) during an in-competition doping control on 3 January 2009 in Val di Fiemme, Italy. She was banned from competition for two years after this.Julia Chepalova disqualified for doping
Immediately after the EPO test results went public her father and coach Anatoly Chepalov officially announced her retirement. On 29 November 2009, Chepalova addressed IOC President Jacques Rogge where she came down hard on the World Anti-Doping Agency, accusing the organisation of being biased and unscrupulous in general, of unlawful ruling of her case in particular, and of "severing the career" of many good athletes but all the efforts to restore her good name were of no avail. Following this, in December 2009, Chepalova ostracised Russian Olympic Committee President Leonid Tyagachyov and Ski Federation of Russia President Vladimir Loginov for "their inaction in matters of defending the sportsmen whose guilt is not yet proven".
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 6 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) Year Age 5 km individual 10 km individual 15 km Pursuit 30 km Sprint 4 × 5 km relay Team sprint 1998 21 13 — 6 Gold — 2002 25 Silver Bronze 4 9 Gold 2006 29 26 9 Silver 27 Gold —
a. Larisa Lazutina and Olga Danilova tested positive in the drug test which was taken an hour before the relay race, after their names were submitted for the race. Russia couldn't replace them because according to the rules, replacement must have been done at least two hours before the starting time.
World Championships 6 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) Year Age 10 km individual 15 km individual Pursuit 30 km Sprint 4 × 5 km relay Team sprint 2001 24 — 10 7 Bronze Gold 2005 28 Silver Gold 10 — Silver Bronze 2009 32 — — —
a. Cancelled due to extremely cold weather.
World Cup Season titles 2 titles – (1 overall, 1 distance) SeasonDiscipline2001 Overall 2006 Distance
Season standings Season Age Discipline standings Ski Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour deSkiWorld CupFinal 1996 19 14 1997 20 17 13 16 1998 21 10 8 11 1999 22 11 7 16 2000 23 7 12 4 17 2001 24 4 2002 25 5 20 2004 27 12 10 2005 28 7 4 62 2006 29 40 2008 31 83 55 — 54 2009 32 76 9
Individual podiums 18 victories 33 podiums No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1997–98 4 January 1998 Kavgolovo, Russia 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st2 11 March 1998 Falun, Sweden 5 km F Individual World Cup 3rd3 1998–99 20 March 1999 Oslo, Norway 30 km C IndividualWorld Cup 1st4 1999–2000 10 December 1999 Sappada, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd5 2 February 2000 Trondheim, Norway 30 km F Individual World Cup 3rd6 26 February 2000 Falun, Sweden 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st7 18 March 2000 Bormio, Italy 10 km F Pursuit World Cup 1st8 2000–01 8 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st9 20 December 2000 Davos, Switzerland 15 km C Individual World Cup 1st10 29 December 2000 Engelberg, Switzerland 1 km Sprint F World Cup 2nd11 4 February 2001 Nové Město, Czech Republic 1 km Sprint F World Cup 1st12 4 March 2001 Kavgolovo, Russia 15 km F Individual World Cup 1st13 14 March 2001 Borlänge, Sweden 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st14 17 March 2001 Falun, Sweden 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st15 18 March 2001 10 km C Individual World Cup 3rd16 24 March 2001 Kuopio, Finland 40 km F Individual World Cup 1st17 2001–02 25 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 5 km F Individual World Cup 2nd18 12 December 2001 Brusson, Italy 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st19 12 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic 5 km F Individual World Cup 1st20 2003–04 6 February 2004 La Clusaz, France 15 km F Individual World Cup 2nd21 14 February 2004 Oberstdorf, Germany 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 1st22 28 February 2004 Oslo, Norway 30 km F Individual World Cup 1st23 6 February 2004 Pragelato, Italy 15 km F Individual World Cup 2nd24 2004–05 15 January 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd25 12 February 2005 Reit im Winkl, Germany 10 km F Individual World Cup 3rd26 6 March 2005 Lahti, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st27 19 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 7.5 km + 7.5 km C/F Pursuit World Cup 3rd28 2005–06 27 November 2005 Rukatunturi, Finland 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd29 15 December 2005 Canmore, Canada 10 km F Individual World Cup 1st30 17 December 2005 15 km C Mass Start World Cup 2nd31 31 December 2005 Nové Město, Czech Republic 10 km F Individual World Cup 2nd32 14 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy 15 km F Mass Start World Cup 2nd33 11 March 2006 Oslo, Norway 30 km F Individual World Cup 1st
Team podiums 13 victories – (11 , 2 ) 25 podiums – (22 , 3 ) No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s) 1 1995–96 17 December 1995 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km C Relay World Cup 3rd Nageykina / Baranova-Masalkina / Zavyalova 2 1996–97 24 November 1996 Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 5 km C Relay World Cup 3rd Nageykina / Zavyalova / Danilova 3 8 December 1996 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 5 km C Relay World Cup 3rd Baranova-Masalkina / Nageykina / Danilova 4 15 December 1996 Brusson, Italy 4 × 5 km F Relay World Cup 2nd Zavyalova / Nageykina / Lazutina 5 1997–98 7 December 1997 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km F Relay World Cup 1st Välbe / Lazutina / Danilova 6 14 December 1997 Val di Fieme, Italy 4 × 5 km F Relay World Cup 3rd Baranova-Masalkina / Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk 7 6 March 1998 Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Danilova / Lazutina / Gavrylyuk 8 1998–99 20 December 1998 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 3rd Denisova / Baranova-Masalkina / Reztsova 9 10 January 1999 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Reztsova 10 14 March 1999 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Nageykina / Baranova-Masalkina / Lazutina 11 21 March 1999 Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km C Relay World Cup 1st Nageykina / Gavrylyuk / Lazutina 12 1999–2000 28 November 1999 Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 5 km F Relay World Cup 1st Yegorova / Skladneva / Reztsova 13 8 December 1999 Asiago, Italy Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Skladneva 14 13 January 2000 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 2nd Zavyalova / Gavrylyuk / Skladneva 15 27 February 2000 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km F Relay World Cup 1st Danilova / Zavyalova / Lazutina 16 4 March 2000 Lahti, Finland 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Danilova / Gavrylyuk / Zavyalova 17 2000–01 26 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 2nd Danilova / Yegorova / Lazutina 18 9 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 3 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Gavrylyuk / Zavyalova / Lazutina 19 13 December 2000 Clusone, Italy 6 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Zavyalova 20 2001–02 27 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Danilova / Baranova-Masalkina / Gavrylyuk 21 13 January 2002 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 1st Medvedeva-Arbuzova 22 2003–04 22 February 2004 Umeå, Sweden 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 2nd Kurkina / Zavyalova / Vorontsova 23 2004–05 12 December 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 1st Kurkina / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova 24 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 3rd Kurkina / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova 25 2005–06 15 January 2006 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km C/F Relay World Cup 2nd Rocheva / Baranova-Masalkina / Medvedeva-Arbuzova Source:
Overall record
ResultDistance RacesSprintSkiToursIndividualEvents Team EventsAll Events≤ 5 km ≤ 10 km≤ 15 km ≤ 30 km≥ 30 km PursuitTeam SprintRelay1st place 2 7 2 3 1 2 1 – 18 2 11 312nd place 1 3 3 – – – 1 – 8 – 5 133rd place 2 4 – – – 1 – – 7 1 6 14Podiums 5 14 5 3 1 3 2 – 33 3 22 58 Top 10 13 28 15 6 2 10 7 – 81 11 32 124 Points 19 45 22 10 2 14 13 – 125 14 33 172 Others 5 7 1 – – 3 19 – 35 – – 35 1 5 – 1 – 1 1 2 11 – 1 12 Starts 25 57 23 11 2 18 33 2 171 14 34 219
a. Classification is made according to FIS classification. b. Includes individual and mass start races. c. Includes pursuit and double pursuit races.
See also Cross-country skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
References
External links
"FIS Doping Panel delivers two decisions". – FIS 23 December 2009 article accessed 25 December 2009.
– click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file