A sad day for speed skating it is...The full decision
(http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=1477) gives some more
details.

On Feb 6, the day before the World Championships Allround, blood samples
were taken from all participants. The results for the Alleged Offender
(Pechstein,MW) gave rise to suspicion of blood doping, because it showed an
abnormal reticulocytes value of 3.5%, which is 1.1 %-point above the upper
normal limit applied by the ISU.

The next day, on February 7, 2009, a post race sample was taken from the
Alleged Offender after the 300 meter race (*I guess this was the 3000m,
MW*); the results again showed high values of percent reticulocytes (3.46%
and 3.34%). Consequently, an out-of-competition test was taken from the
Alleged Offender on February 18, 2009. From the values of these tests,
combined with the results on many earlier tests taken from the Alleged
Offender from the year 2000 on, the Complainant came to the Conclusion that
blood doping had taken place shortly before the 2009 ISU World Championships
Allround.

In the defense, Pechstein's lawyer made a lot of juridical complaints:
- All those blood samples from 2000 were not properly tested in a laboratory
- The ISU uses machines to do the blood testing, not via an acknowledged
laboratory
- Is blood screening the same as testing?
- No prohibited substance was found
- The machine was not working OK
- The data were not transferred properly from the machine to an Excel-sheet
- The excel sheet has other strange numbers and blanks spaces in it.
- In the complaint there are other data than in the Excel-sheet
- Her results from March 5, 2000 were not in the data base.
- Is Swiss law applicable?
etc etc.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Reticulocytes are immature red blood cells, typically composing about 1% of
the red cells in the human body. Reticulocytes develop and mature in the red
bone marrow and then circulate for about a day in the blood stream before
developing into mature red blood cells."

and

"The normal range of values for reticulocytes in the blood depends on the
clinical situation and the lab, but broadly speaking is 0.5% to 1.5%."

So, over 3% is a lot more than normal. However, some diseases could cause
this. The Panel proposed Pechstein to do a medical examination to see
whether she had some congenital blood disorder, but Pechstein rejected that.

So, they were abnormal blood values. Which means that in the other test, she
had normal blood values. So, she was OK then, you would guess. On the other
hand, if it is only 1 or 2 days that you can detect these reticulocytes,
wasn't Pechstein a bit too late this time....?

ISU tests with a machine and can check the results very quickly. So, who of
the testers told this secret to someone who could bring it to Ria Visser?
Isn't that breaching the rules to test doping?



----- Original Message -----
From: "Nils Lid Hjort" <nils@...>
To: <Speed_skating@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, July 03, 2009 7:46 PM
Subject: [Skate] Re: Claudia Pechstein suspended 2 years for doping...



Or, rather, say it is so, and tell us absolutely
everything about it, including how much, when,
with the help of whom, etc. That's the only way
we may still cling to an ounce of a vague hope
of living in a semi-clean world, to have More
Truths & Detailed Confessions on the table.
Were you doped when you won all these medals,
Mrs Pechstein? Just tell us.

There should be an Olympic Rule that whoever is
taken in doping should have all earlier Olympic
results (from medals to national and world records)
taken away from them, with Re-distribution of Medals
(if not wealth) etc. etc.

The story is highly unfortunate, of course, also
for people close to Mrs Pechstein, such as Peter
Mueller. There may be a line-up of people to the
kitchen sink now (those who need to publicly
wash their hands).

NLH
... from a weak internet line in his Torino
hotel room.

> 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 �?oUse 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 �?opassport�?�.
> �
> 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�?T000
> 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�?Ts
> 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
>




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