Silvio Fauner

Silvio Fauner (born 1 November 1968 in San Pietro di Cadore, Province of Belluno) is an Italian former cross-country skier who competed from 1988 to 2006. His best-known victory was part of the 4 × 10 km relay team that upset Norway at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. He also won four other medals at the Winter Olympics with silvers in the 4 × 10 km relay (1992, 1998) and bronzes in the 15 km and 30 km (1998).

Biography Fauner also won six medals at the Nordic skiing World Championships, including 1 gold (50 km: 1995), 2 silvers (10 km + 15 km combined pursuit: 1995, 4 × 10 km relay: 1993), and 3 bronzes (4 × 10 km relay: 1995, 1997, 1999).

At the Opening Ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin on February 10, he and his 4 × 10 km relay teammates (Maurilio De Zolt, Marco Albarello, and Giorgio Vanzetta) who won the gold at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, were among the last carriers of the Olympic torch before it was lit by fellow Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo.

In May 2007, Fauner was named the head coach of the Italian national cross-country ski team, replacing his former ski teammate Marco Albarello.

Doping allegations

The Swedish investigative television show Uppdrag granskning claimed that Fauner had an exceptionally high haemoglobin level prior to a World Cup in Lahti in 1997. According to sources quoted in the documentary, Fauner had tested 19.2 g/dL. The test result was confirmed and signed by International Ski Federation (FIS) official Bengt-Erik Bengtsson. Currently, the allowed limit to compete in official FIS competition is 17.0 g/dL. According to Bengt Saltin, former chairman of the FIS medical committee, such a haemoglobin value is not possible to achieve without banned substances or blood doping.

Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games 5 medals – (1, gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) Year Age 10 km 15 km Pursuit 30 km 50 km Sprint 4 × 10 km relay 1992 23 10 7 — — Silver 1994 25 8 Bronze 7 11 Gold 1998 29 10 4 Bronze 10 Silver 2002 33 — — 51 — 14 —

World Championships 7 medals – (1 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze) Year Age 10 km 15 km classical 15 km freestyle Pursuit 30 km 50 km Sprint 4 × 10 km relay 1989 20 27— 28 — — 1991 22 20 37 — — — 1993 24 6 Bronze 13 — Silver 1995 26 4 Silver 5Gold Bronze 1997 28 11 10 45 14 Bronze 1999 30 25 19 16 Bronze 2001 32 — — — 7 — 2003 34 — — — — 37 —

World Cup Season standings Season Age OverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprint 1988 19 53 1989 20 1990 21 54 1991 22 43 1992 23 14 1993 24 6 1994 25 5 1995 26 1996 27 5 1997 28 5 13 1998 29 9 8 11 1999 30 24 26 22 2000 31 26 43 33 8 2001 32 25 11 2002 33 32 19 2003 34 95 45 2004 35 96 62 — 2005 36 — 2006 37 166 121 —

Individual podiums 3 victories 19 podiums

Team podiums

6 victories – (5 , 1 ) 23 podiums – (21 , 2 )

Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.