Locked for 21 months
German bob athlete misses Olympia
03.09.2025 – 6:21 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
In December, a banned remedy for Bob Olympic champion Francesco Friedrich was demonstrated. Now there is a judgment.
Bob-Seber Simon Wulff has been blocked for 21 months to September 2026 after a positive doping finding from December last year. He is also lacking the BOB dominator Francesco Friedrich at the Winter Olympics in February next year.
At Wulff at the World Cup in Altenberg in 2024, the substance of methylhylhexanamine was detected. Although the active ingredient is not prohibited outside of competitions, but is clearly prohibited in the competition itself. The slide has accepted the lock – but continues to deny that they have consciously taken the means.
The bobsleigh and sled association of Germany (BSD) commented in a statement on the procedure: “Simon Wulff accepted the provisional lock after the announcement of the findings and has shown itself throughout the procedure. Even if there is no evidence of intentional misconduct, the source of the substance could not be clearly determined despite the considerable efforts of Simon Wulf.”
According to the agreement between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the International Bob and Skeleton Association (IBSF) and the athlete, the lock according to Article 10.8.2 of the IBSF-Anti-doping rules is pronounced from the date of sampling. Simon Wulff is therefore entitled to participate in competitions from September 7, 2026. Team training is possible again from July 7, 2026.
The lock has potential effects on the overall World Cup ranking of the team around Friedrich, since Wulff was part of this team. The BSD is currently waiting for an official decision by the IBSF how the lock will affect the score in the overall World Cup.
The ex-light athlete was released by the BSD immediately after the positive sample became known in order to rule out possible retrospective sanctions against the team. The World Association had not temporarily blocked Wulff. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has been warning of methylhexanamine on its website since 2010.
BSD CEO Thomas Schwab said: “We wish Simon all the best for the coming time. It is of course difficult if you should prove what you have consumed five weeks after sampling. Simon has shown himself openly and honestly in the process, and we respect his decision to accept the lock.”