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 click here.

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, 20009 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.  

For general questions related to the ISU Anti-Doping Program please refer to the ISU website 'www.isu.org'  or contact Ms. Devra Pitt-Getaz at pitt@isu.ch or phone +41 21 612 66 66