A stimulant that was banned in competitions was found in a suspicious doping test by bobsleigh pusher Simon Wulff. This was announced by the international testing agency ITA. After the Bobsleigh and Sled Association of Germany (BSD) released Wulff as a precautionary measure, it is unclear whether the pusher of Olympic bobsleigh champion Francesco Friedrich will now face further consequences.
At Wulff, the substance methylhexanamine was found in a sample, said the ITA, which took over the results management in this case. The substance is contained in so-called slimming products and dietary supplements and is now one of the most frequently found stimulants in doping samples. In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the IBSF anti-doping rules, no provisional ban has been imposed on the athlete, who is allowed to continue competing while the proceedings are ongoing. By releasing Wulff, the BSD wants to rule out possible sanctions against the team afterwards. Friedrich will therefore compete in the two-man bobsleigh World Cup in St. Moritz this weekend with Alexander Schüller.
The German association says it has only known about the unusual test since Wednesday. “The suspicious test dates from December 7th in Altenberg,” said the chairman and general secretary of the Bobsleigh and Sled Sports Association for Germany (BSD), Thomas Schwab, when asked. According to Schwab, the 24-year-old former track and field athlete will apply for the B sample to be opened and will also receive legal advice. “We support the athlete and the team with all means possible as long as there is no judgment. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies,” said Schwab.
The substance detected by Wulff is permitted in training but prohibited in competition. Stimulants such as methylhexanamine contribute to a short-term increase in physical or psychological performance; they can be found in dietary supplements and also in teas. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has been warning about the substance on its website since 2010. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, biathlete Evi Dingebacher-Stehle tested positive for the drug and was banned for two years; the Cas International Court of Arbitration for Sport later shortened the ban to six months. Dingebacher-Stehle explained the positive test by ingesting contaminated tea powder.
Wulff, who ran the 100 meters in Dresden last August in 10.06 seconds, the fourth fastest time ever for a German, only joined the team of four-time Olympic champion Friedrich before the current season. The Dresden native had set his sights on taking part in the 2026 Olympics. This season, Wulff and Friedrich have already won the World Cup in the two-man bobsleigh in Altenberg and Sigulda (Latvia) and took second place in the four-man bobsleigh in Winterberg last weekend. What would happen to Friedrich’s results if he were convicted is still unclear.
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