Say it ain't so, Claudia...

------

For immediate Release
Lausanne, July 3, 2009

 
German Speed Skater Ms. Claudia Pechstein found guilty of Anti-Doping Rules
violation
 

On July 1, 2009, the ISU Disciplinary Commission found Ms. Claudia
Pechstein of Germany guilty of violation of rule 2.2 of the ISU
Anti-Doping Rules “Use or Attempted Use by a Skater of a Prohibited Substance
or a Prohibited Method”,  and has taken the following Decision. The full
opinion and decision is published on the ISU website www.isu.org.
 
1. Claudia Pechstein is declared responsible for an Anti-Doping violation
under Article 2.2 of the ISU Anti-Doping Rules by using the prohibited
method of blood doping.


2. The results obtained by Claudia Pechstein in the 500 m and 3'000 m
races at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships on February 7,
2009, are disqualified and her points, prices and medals forfeited.

3. A two years ineligibility, beginning on February 9, 2009, is imposed on
Claudia Pechstein.

4. The Deutsche Eisschnelllauf-Gemeinschaft e.V. shall pay to the ISU the costs
to be determined.

5. Each Party bears its own costs of proceedings and expenses. The present
decision is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne,
Switzerland, within 21 days upon receipt of the decision, in accordance with
Article 24, paragraph 12 and Article 25 of the ISU Constitution and Rule 13.2.1
and 13.6 of the ISU Anti-Doping Rules.
 
The International Skating Union (ISU) had for many years a comprehensive
Anti-Doping Program in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. This
program incorporates both urine and blood testing to identify prohibited
substances and also blood screening for hematological “passport”.
 
The ISU blood screening program began in 1999 and uses a specific program
called SAFE (Safe and Fair Event Testing) to monitor the Skaters blood
parameters. Over the years, the ISU has performed more than 11’000
blood tests on approx. 1650 speed skaters and has created a hematological
passport for each which details blood parameters over time. Long term monitoring
allows the ISU Medical Commission to better detect anomalies or specific changes
over time. In case of anomalies further targeted testing follows.
 
According to the WADA Comment to Rule 3.2 of the WADA Code in force since
January 1, 2009 (and adopted by the ISU - see ISU Communication 1546),
conclusions drawn from the Skaters blood profile created from a series
of tests may be used for establishing a violation of the ISU Anti-Doping Rules.
 
Based on the evidence of Ms. Pechstein's profile which included abnormal
values and abnormal changes of values in a series of tests (in particular in the
tests conducted during the Essent ISU World Allround Championships held in Hamar
on February 7-8, 2009) and in compliance with it’s responsibilities in the
fight against doping, the ISU, on March 5, 2009 filed charges of anti-doping
rules violation against Ms. Pechstein with the ISU Disciplinary Commission.
After written submissions of evidence, written expert opinions and arguments by
both parties and by the German Federation (Deutsche Eisschnelllauf-Gemeinschaft
e.V.), a two-day hearing was held by the ISU Disciplinary Commission in Bern,
SWI on June 29-30, 2009. Witnesses and five experts gave testimony and
thereafter, the ISU Disciplinary Commission rendered the above-mentioned
Decision.  
 
The Decision is subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
(CAS) in Lausanne, and accordingly, the ISU will not provide additional
comment.
 
The ISU remains committed to fight doping in order to ensure the respect of its
rules and the ideals of the Olympic movement. 

------------

Wow.

Paul