Olympic cross country skiing champion Victoria Carl has been banned for 18 months over a positive doping test, the German Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) said on Thursday.
With Carl’s provisional suspension since last spring taken into account, the 2022 team sprint gold medallist Carl will be banned until November 25 onwards, the NADA said.
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The ruling can be appealed by Carl and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Carl, 30, tested positive for the banned anabolic substance clenbuterol on April 3. She said she was unaware that a cough medication she was prescribed by a doctor contained a forbidden substance.
The NADA wanted her banned for two years and the parties subsequently reached a case resolution agreement but WADA objected and said the case needed to be settled via sports laws.
As a result and upon Carl’s request, the case went to the independent German Sports Arbitration Court (DIS) which issued the 18-month suspension.
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“We take note of the arbitration ruling and consider it to be reasonable and, on the whole, fair,” German Ski federation (DSV) board member Stefan Schwarzbach said.
“We particularly welcome the finding that there was no significant fault on our part and the resulting reduction in the suspension.”
Carl missed the recent Milan/Cortina Olympics due to the suspension but would be able to compete again in the next season which is highlighted by the world championships in Falun, Sweden in February and March 2027.
