Investigation into Victoria Carl’s doping case expands – could be settled via agreement, Swedish expert says

Swedish anti-doping expert Jessica Wissman told public broadcaster SVT that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is now involved alongside Germany’s anti-doping agency (NADA) in the investigation of German cross-country skier Victoria Carl, 30. NADA confirmed it is cooperating with WADA on the case.

According to Wissman, the development suggests the parties may be exploring a settlement route. Carl tested positive for clenbuterol from a sample collected at the Military World Championships last March and has been under a provisional suspension since June. German authorities have released few details of the probe to date.

Carl and the German Ski Association have argued the clenbuterol resulted from medical treatment in Switzerland by an army doctor, implying a lack of intent. Wissman believes Carl is unlikely to escape punishment entirely, noting that WADA’s Code stipulates a four‑year ban for clenbuterol as a starting point; reducing it to two years or less typically requires substantial mitigating factors.

Wissman drew a comparison to Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, whose three‑month sanction for a clostebol finding followed an agreement with WADA. She posits Carl and her team could be seeking a similar negotiated outcome.

NADA has not commented on timelines for a decision. Despite the positive test, the German Ski Association recently named Carl the country’s Female Cross‑Country Skier of the Year. The German national team is currently training and racing at Olos (Finland) in early‑season snow competitions, but Carl is absent. In an Instagram post last week, she described recent months as mentally challenging and said she had stepped back from social media to protect her wellbeing, but now feels strong enough to share updates again.