Great excitement among the Finnish winter sports stars. Association boss Ismo Hämäläinen has suggested increasing the internal penalty for doping offences. However, his suggestion caused a shake of the head and triggered a loud echo.
If Finnish winter athletes who sign a contract with the national federation violate the doping rules and are caught cheating, they should be asked to pay even more than before. So far, the penalty for a doping offense in Finland was 100,000 euros. If the head of the association, Ismo Hämäläinen, has his way, this sum will be increased in the future – many times over.
As the newspaper “Ilta-Sanomat” initially reported, Hämäläinen demanded an increase in the fine to an incredible 500,000 euros. The head of the association confirmed this a little later to the newspaper. “That’s right. This suggestion came out of my mouth,” said the Finn, who, however, put it into perspective: “This suggestion was intended as a special starting point for the discussion.”
However, the athletes did not understand this disproportionate proposal as the “starting point of the discussion”. “The idea of a contractual penalty of half a million euros is completely absurd and just cheeky. In Finland you don’t even have to pay that amount for crimes,” “Ilta-Sanomat” quoted a source close to the alpine national team.
The proposal raises the question of whether the association does not trust the athletes, added the unnamed source: “Apart from that, no athlete would have to pay this amount at all. It is difficult to imagine that such a penalty would be enforced in court.”
It will not come to that in the end, because in the end both parties agreed on an increase in the doping penalty, but the association clearly moved away from the 500,000 euros. Athletes from Finland who are caught doping will in future have to pay a fine of “only” 150,000 euros.