--- In Speed_skating@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Hanlin Jr." <speedsk8fan@...> wrote:
>
>
> 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
>


Pechstein is gone and she can forget going for her sixth Olympic Winter Games
unless she appeals to the CAS. As a matter of fact she can retire right now,
rather than fight the doping charges.

It's up to Sablikova, Friesinger and/or Wust or anyone else to pickup the
enormous load Pechstein left behind only if she retires, or has her doping
charge upheld.