Cross-country skier Victoria Carl: “There are days when I want to give up”

Germany’s Olympic cross-country skiing champion Victoria Carl has addressed the public for the first time since news of her positive doping test emerged in late June, describing the heavy mental toll of the ongoing, unresolved case.

With less than a month before the Olympic season begins, no decision has been handed down. The 30‑year‑old is currently barred from training with the German team and from competing. “There are days when I want to give up. And there are days when the sun shines a little brighter,” Carl wrote on Instagram. “I’ve gone through difficult times and have more difficult times ahead.” She added that she had stepped back from social media to protect her mental health but now felt strong enough to share an update. Carl did not comment on specific case details while proceedings continue.

Clenbuterol detected at Military World Championships

Clenbuterol was detected in a sample collected from Carl at the Military World Championships at the end of March. Carl and the German Ski Association (DSV) argue the substance came from a cough syrup that the ill athlete took on the team doctor’s instruction.

Possible ban and Olympic consequences

If Carl is found to bear at least some fault—as observers expect—she faces a ban that could last years in the worst case, and would in any event rule her out of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The article notes that Norway’s Therese Johaug received an 18‑month ban in a comparable case, though Johaug only submitted her explanation after a delay.

Coach criticizes drawn‑out process

Head coach Peter Schlickenrieder expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding his top skier, who finished overall runner‑up in the 2024/25 World Cup—her best season to date. “Vici has been training alone for months without support from the training group. On top of that comes the waiting and the feeling of complete isolation, that a world is collapsing,” he told the Mediengruppe Münchner Merkur/tz. “That naturally wears you down and will certainly affect performance.”

Source: SID