German team boss doubts Victoria Carl will be cleared for the Olympics as doping case drags on

German Ski Association (DSV) sports director Peter Schlickenrieder told Yle that the uncertainty surrounding Olympic champion Victoria Carl remains unresolved and that time is running short for a decision.

Carl, 30, was chosen by DSV as the women’s skier of the year, but Schlickenrieder admits they are not counting on her participation at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Olympics. In an interview with Germany’s Sportschau, he said the federation expects a suspension to keep her out.

Carl provided a positive doping sample for clenbuterol during the Military World Championships in Switzerland last March and has been under a provisional suspension since June. Under the World Anti‑Doping Code, clenbuterol cases typically carry a four‑year ban; even a reduction to two years requires significant mitigating circumstances.

Carl and the DSV argue she received a medication containing clenbuterol from a Swiss military doctor and that there was no intent to dope. However, the product packaging clearly lists clenbuterol as the active substance, and in past cases athletes are ultimately responsible for what is found in their samples. Comparable clenbuterol violations in athletics have routinely resulted in 2–4 year bans.

Schlickenrieder told Yle that the handling of the case dragging so close to the competition season has surprised German skiing. Carl’s status also interests Finland, as the World Cup starts in less than four weeks in Kuusamo and her availability could influence Olympic prospects, including Germany’s chances in the women’s 4 × 7.5 km relay. Notably, Carl out‑sprinted Finland’s Jasmi Joensuu to secure World Championship relay bronze for Germany in Trondheim last March.

Germany traditionally opens its international build‑up at the early‑snow races in Muonio (Olostunturi). Carl won both 10 km classic and 10 km free there last November, but this year a 19‑strong German team will attend without her because of the provisional ban. She has also been barred from national team camps and group training during the suspension.

Schlickenrieder emphasized that his recent Sportschau remarks were speculative in the absence of a final ruling: everyone is waiting for the German anti‑doping agency NADA’s disciplinary decision. If a swift and unexpectedly exonerating decision arrived, he said it would not be impossible for Carl to join the team heading to Muonio immediately.