Swiss court: Pechstein allowed to skate in Salt Lake City (1st Lead)

Dec 8, 2009, 10:28 GMT

Hamburg - German speed skater Claudia Pechstein has been allowed by the Swiss supreme court to compete in an upcoming World Cup meet in Salt Lake City despite a doping ban.

Pechstein's manager Ralf Grengel confirmed to the German Press Agency dpa that the supreme court granted an appeal by Pechstein who is fighting a two-year ban, imposed by the ruling skating body ISU and confirmed on November 25 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Pechstein, 37, will skate in the 3,000 metres race on Friday and aims to finish in the top eight to qualify for the Vancouver Olympics in February.

The emergency ruling applies only for the Salt Lake City race. A final ruling on Pechstein's appeal is to be made by the supreme court at a later stage. The case is before a Swiss court because the CAS is based in the country.

'We wanted to give Claudia a last chance to qualify for the Olympics. But this is only small step. Only the main hearing will decide whether she can really compete at the Olympics and has her ban lifted,' said Pechstein's lawyer Simon Bergmann.

Pechstein said after hearing the news during training: 'It is great to know that all the training was worth it and that I will now get the chance to qualify for the Olympics.'

Pechstein is Germany's most decorated winter Olympian with five gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals. She also has six world titles.

She was banned for abnormally high levels of reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) in several blood tests including the allround world championships in Norway in February.

Pechstein is the first top athlete to be banned through blood screening results for a biological passport and not a positive doping test.

Her case is seen as a precedent for other federations who also have biological passports for their athletes, such as cycling, Nordic skiing and athletics.