The skier was publicly accused of cheating in front of the skiing community and stripped of prize money. The 21-year-old athlete speaks out after the scandal.

She was publicly accused of cheating in front of the entire skiing community and stripped of prize money totaling over €12.000. Her skis had tested ‘red’ for traces of fluor after crossing the finish line.

A few days later, the punishment was reversed, and the 21-year-old received an apology from the Engadin Skimarathon organizers.

On Sunday, French skier Maëlle Veyre finished 48th in the 20km race during the World Cup finals in Falun. She won bronze in the same event at the U23 World Championships.

However, the lead-up to the World Cup finals in Falun was far from optimal.

The weekend before Falun, Veyre raced in the prestigious Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland on March 14, covering a distance of 42km, and won the race. Initially, she could celebrate her victory and the prize money.

Then, according to Langrenn.com, came the fluor scandal, where she was mistakenly accused of fluor ‘doping.’ Veyre was stripped of the prize and publicly accused of cheating by the international skiing community.

“It has been very tough. People called me a cheater, and it was incredibly difficult,” the French national team skier told Expressen.

But four days later, the verdict was overturned. The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) had re-evaluated the fluor tests from Engadin. The analyses showed that the organizers had not followed the procedure for fluor testing, and the tests were not reliable enough. 

Consequently, Veyre and two other skiers had their disqualifications overturned. They also regained their prize money.

“I am happy now. FIS and the French Ski Federation have stood up for me and helped to correct this,” said Veyre.

How have these days been for you? 

“Difficult. But I have had a lot of support from people around me who helped me through this unfair situation.”

That must have been the worst moment in your skiing career. 

“Yes, definitely. But now everything is fine again, and it feels so good.”

In retrospect, the race organizers have apologized to Veyre and the others who were disqualified and publicly accused of cheating.

“As the organizing body, the Engadin Skimarathon was not involved in the fluor wax tests; the entire procedure lies in the hands of FIS. However, the three cases are of great concern to Engadin Skimarathon’s organizing committee. For one, the wrongly disqualified athletes have the right to see their disqualifications handled correctly and revoked immediately in case of procedural errors. Beyond affecting the implicated athletes, the events also negatively impact their entourage and all the other athletes with a wrong ranking. Albeit beyond its control, the Engadin Skimarathon much regrets these events.

 Since the race, the wrongly disqualified athletes and their support staff have been harshly criticized and alleged to have influenced the course of the race with unfair means. Today’s annulation of the three disqualifications makes it very clear that the accusations are unfounded. Furthermore, the Engadin Skimarathon would like to express its sincere regrets to the three athletes and their entourage for the course of events and retrospectively congratulates Maëlle Veyre on her victory.

 The Engadin Skimarathon recognizes and appreciates FIS’s proactive initiative to conduct an in-depth review of the cases in question. Thus, the FIS assumes its responsibility towards sports and its athletes. That is the correct course of action to uphold the integrity and credibility of the tests,” Engadin Skimarathon wrote in a press release.

Consequences of fluor tests

After Therese Johaug’s comeback race, Engadin Frauenlauf, the race organizers tightened the penalties for skiers caught with traces of fluor on their skis. Twenty-five percent of those tested ‘red’ for fluor, including two of the top six.

FACTS: Fluor Ban

As of the 2023/24 season, a total ban on fluorine was introduced for all competitions. This was announced by both the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) and the International Biathlon Union (IBU) in March 2023.

During the summer, the international federations presented the testing procedure and protocol for enforcing the fluor ban in the winter. The consequence of a red reading on the fluor test equipment is severe: Those who test ‘red’ for fluor are disqualified, and the decision cannot be appealed.

Also Read: Norwegian fluor guide becomes international standard