Yuliya Chepalova

Yulia Anatolyevna Chepalova, born on 23 December 1976 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, is a former Russian cross-country skier who was coached by her father Anatoly Chepalov, a coach of the Russian junior national team. She won the women's 30 km freestyle in her Olympic debut at the 1998 Winter Olympics, becoming the youngest winner of that event. Four years later at the 2002 Winter Olympics she 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, and in Turin in 2006 she added a gold in the 4 x 5 km relay and a silver in the 30 km mass start, six Olympic medals in all. She finished first overall in the World Cup in 2000-01 and won the women's 30 km at Holmenkollen three times. A positive test for erythropoietin in January 2009 led to a two year ban and the end of her career.