Olympic cross-country skiing champion Victoria Carl has been banned for 18 months after her positive doping test. The National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) announced this decision by the independent German Sports Arbitration Court (DIS) on Thursday. Since Carl has already been provisionally suspended since May 26, 2025 and the time will be taken into account, the suspension will end on November 25th.
The 30-year-old, who had to watch the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan due to the ban, could therefore take part again in the 2026/27 World Cup season. All competition results achieved by Carl from March 26, 2025 to May 26, 2025 have been canceled “including the withdrawal of medals, points and prizes.”
“The verdict is not yet final,” said the NADA statement. Both Carl and NADA, the world associations FIS and CISM (International Military Sports Federation) as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) “have the opportunity to appeal to the International Sports Court (CAS)”.
At the end of the 2024/25 season, which she finished in second place in the overall World Cup, Carl tested positive for the active ingredient clenbuterol in a sample during the Military World Cup. As Carl and the German Ski Association stated, the active ingredient was contained in a cough syrup that was administered to the athlete by a military doctor. Carl trusted the doctor, so there was no intention to deceive.
Carl won gold in the team sprint with Katharina Hennig (now Hennig Dotzler) at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. She took silver with the relay.
