After OCC, it came to light that Stian had tested positive for a diuretic called Chlorthalidone – a substance that is banned in and out-of-competition for masking other banned substances or facilitating rapid weight loss. Stian has spent the last year and half defending himself against these allegations and has vehemently maintained his innocence.

 

To my knowledge, this is Stian’s first time speaking about the subject in a long-form interview and, to his credit, he left nothing out-of-bounds, supplying me with all relevant documentation from the case. Of course, doping is serious, it does happen, and when it does, it’s a terrible violation of everything that makes sport great. At the same time, there are banned athletes who are innocent or who test positive under questionable circumstances. Recognizing that this is a touchy subject that deserves scrutiny and seriousness, I encourage you to listen with an open mind and allow Stian to tell his side of the story.

 

We walk through the entire timeline of events, the emotional cost in losing his career, the financial cost of defending himself, the public support he’s received, lessons learned, advice for other pro athletes, his goals for returning to sport, and a lot more.

 

READ THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS