“The athlete is responsible for what they ingest” – expert surprised Olympic champion Victoria Carl tested positive for clenbuterol

Finnish Anti-Doping Agency (SUEK) medical expert, Dr. Pekka Rauhala, called the positive test of German cross-country skier and Olympic champion Victoria Carl surprising.

According to announcements made on Wednesday, a sample Carl provided at the end of March contained clenbuterol, which appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. Carl, 29, won Olympic gold in the team sprint at the Beijing Games.

Rauhala told Yle that clenbuterol is more typically associated with bodybuilding or strength-focused sports. He noted that it is a beta‑2 agonist that dilates the airways and, in high doses, can promote muscle growth—one reason it is classified among anabolic substances on the WADA list. The substance has also been used in livestock production in countries such as Mexico and China. There have been hundreds of clenbuterol cases across sports like bodybuilding, track and field, and rugby; notable cases include Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador (two-year ban) and Kenyan runner Peter Kiptoo Kiplagat (four-year ban).

The German Ski Association said the positive finding resulted from an unfortunate combination of organizational and medical factors. It explained that Carl developed bronchitis during the Military World Championships, and a German army doctor prescribed and administered a cough medicine that contained clenbuterol. The federation also cited untrained staff and time pressure as contributing factors and argued Carl should not be considered at fault because she relied on a doctor’s recommendation.

Rauhala declined to judge the German federation’s explanation but stressed that athletes must ultimately ensure any medicine they take does not contain prohibited substances. “It would of course be good for doctors to know and check these things too, but the athlete is ultimately responsible for what they put in their mouth,” he said.

The article also links to broader context about clenbuterol risks and past guidance advising Norwegian athletes to avoid meat consumption in certain countries to reduce the risk of inadvertent clenbuterol positives due to contaminated meat.