Swiss court rejects Pechstein appeal to race

Jan 26, 2010, 11:24 GMT

Berlin - German speed skater Claudia Pechstein's hopes of competing at the winter Olympics next month were dashed Tuesday when she lost a court appeal to be allowed to race.

The five-time Olympic winner had filed an injunction seeking to compete as she fights a two-year ban for a doping rule violation.

But the Swiss federal court rejected the bid saying there was little chance Pechstein, 37, would win her main judicial appeal against the ban.

Pechstein is fighting a two-year suspension imposed by the ruling skating body ISU and confirmed on November 25 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

She was still hoping for a last-minute place in the German team for the Vancouver Games beginning on February 12.

The Swiss federal court in December had allowed Pechstein to compete in the 3,000 metres at Salt Lake City but then turned down a fresh bid by the skater's lawyers to be allowed to compete in more events. She failed to make the Olympics cut in the 3,000m race.

Pechstein, who is Germany's most decorated winter Olympian, was banned for abnormally high levels of reticulocytes (immature red blood cells) in several blood tests including the all-round world championships in Norway in February.

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