Savi Denies Obfuscation in Veerpalu Case
Toomas Savi, the former president of the Estonian Ski Association, dismissed suggestions that he wanted to cover up positive doping results in the case of Andrus Veerpalu, the disgraced Olympic skier.
Savi's denial came on Wednesday, the day after the International Ski Federation (FIS) upheld charges that Veerpalu, Estonia's two-time Olympic cross-country ski champion, tested positive for a banned growth hormone.
At issue was Savi's conversation earlier this year with FIS Secretary General Sarah Lewis, in which Savi was reported as having emphasized that Veerpalu's career was effectively ended by a knee injury, not doping.
Savi said yesterday that he was simply articulating his opinion, as a former practising doctor, that the skier's injury was a career-ender.
"There could be some misunderstanding," Savi said. "I was not making a case that doping is irrelevant because Veerpalu's career was over. That was not so."
In June, Savi announced that he would not run for the next term of presidency of the Ski Association at the June 21 congress.
The FIS letter to the Ski Association also said that Veerpalu had confessed using a prohibited substance - that "the Athlete had admitted the use of the prohibited substance verbally."
"I'm certainly hearing this version for the first time," Savi said.
Andres Kahar