Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Women's 10 kilometre classical

The Women's 10 kilometre classical cross-country skiing competition at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy was held on 16 February, at Pragelato.[1]

Women's 10 kilometre classical at the XX Olympic Winter Games
Venue	Pragelato
Dates	16 February
Competitors	72 from 29 nations
Winning time	27:51.4
Medalists
Kristina Šmigun  Estonia Marit Bjørgen  Norway Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen  Norway

Cross-country skiing at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Distance
10 km		women
15 km	men	women
30 km	men	women
50 km	men
4 × 5 km relay		women
4 × 10 km relay	men
Sprint
Individual	men	women
Team	men	women

The world champion at the 10 kilometre event was Kateřina Neumannová – however, that was in the freestyle event, and a classical-style 10 kilometre in the World Championship had not been held since 1989. In the World Cup, however, there had been two events leading up to the Olympics, both won by Norwegians: Marit Bjørgen won at Kuusamo, Finland in November, and Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen at Otepää, Estonia in January. Bente Skari won the Olympic gold in 2002, but did not defend her status, having retired after the 2003 World Championship.

Šmigun won her second gold of the Olympics, winning 21 seconds ahead of Marit Bjørgen, with two other Norwegians following.

In 2014, the Estonian Olympic Committee was notified by the IOC that one of Šmigun's samples from the 2006 Turin Games had been retested with a positive result. On 24 October 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency Athletes' Commission stated that Šmigun's case will be heard in the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the end of the month. Marit Bjørgen of Norway, winner of the silver medal, would receive the gold medal if Šmigun is stripped of the gold.[2]