Russian gold medalist from Sochi Olympics retires after 2017 ban

Alexander Legkov, the lone Russian cross-country skier to take gold at the Sochi Olympics who was later banned for most of 2017, had that gold stripped for three months and was excluded from the PyeongChang Winter Games, has reportedly retired from international competition.

“I say stop here to my professional career on international tournaments,” Legkov said Friday, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Legkov, 34, led a Russian sweep of the 50km in podium in Sochi. He also took silver as part of the 4x10km relay.

The three-time Olympian saw his career turn in May 2016, when CBS and The New York Times first reported about a Sochi doping list kept by Grigory Rodchenkov, former director of a…