First Olympic scandal of the year involves an Alaskan?

Jim Galanes, a coach for suspended American athlete Kikkan Randall, said there's no chance the cross-country skier was involved with illegal doping.
"
There is absolutely no likelihood of that," said Galanes, the head Nordic ski coach at Alaska Pacific University. "I can guarantee it."

The federation said in announcing the suspensions that the competition ban is not a disciplinary action, but taken to "protect the health of the athlete."

Hemoglobin is the part of a red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to all cells and can increase endurance. Illicit strategies such as the use of synthetic hemoglobin and blood transfusions have been used by some athletes to increase the oxygen in the muscles.

Whoa! Time out! There is no way that Kikkan Randall is taking any substance that would give her any chemical assistance at the Olympics. This is a very sweet kid and she does not need any help in bringing home a couple of medals from Italy.

Let me explain the blood thing to you. We live in Alaska. Our heart rates get higher shoveling a path to our damn car then many triathletes ever achieve in their lifetime. Our bodies are stronger, more effecient, and produce a superior type of blood then do most other humans. We are freaks of nature! Kikkan is just demonstrating her superior genes and the result of years living in the harshest conditions in the world.

Now get the hell out of her way so she can win some medals and get back home to shovel some of this damn snow!