He was 41.

"We do not believe that the death is linked to a crime," said the Finnish police in a statement.

"The cause of death will be investigated."

Myllyla was alone in his apartment in Kokkola.

Myllala was among the most celebrated skiers in Finland until his fall from grace in a doping scandal in 2001.

Three years earlier he won gold in the 30 kilometres cross-country in Nagano, where he also won two bronze medals.

He had also collected a silver and two bronze medals in Lillehammer in 1994, giving him six Olympic medals.

In addition he won nine World Championship medals including four golds; three of them at Ramsau in 1999 at 10km, 30km and 50km.

Myllala then tested positive in 2001 for hydroxyethl starch, a masking agent for the banned blood booster Erythropoietin (EPO).

Last month he had given a sworn statement during a court case that he had indeed used EPO during the 1990s.

After serving a two-year ban, he attempted a comeback, twice winning the Finnish Championships but never figuring strongly again on the international scene.

He retired in 2005.

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