Olympic bobsleigh champion Francesco Friedrich’s pusher, Simon Wulff, has been sentenced to watch for the time being after a suspicious doping test. The German association released the ex-athlete from sports activities. The proven stimulant is found in nutritional supplements and is permitted in training.
German bobsleigh pusher Simon Wulff has been found to have taken a stimulant that was banned in competitions. As the international testing agency ITA announced, the substance is said to be methylhexanamine. It 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 anti-doping rules of the IBSF, no provisional ban has been imposed on the athlete, who can continue to compete while the proceedings are ongoing. The German association BSD nevertheless released the pusher of Olympic bobsleigh champion Francesco Friedrich as a precautionary measure in order 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.
“Allowed in training, forbidden in competition”
“The sample contained a substance that is permitted in training but prohibited in competition,” the association wrote in a statement. That’s why Wulff is “exempt from sports activities as a precautionary measure until the matter is fully clarified.” 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 by SPORT IM EAST on Friday morning (January 10th), national coach René Spies did not want to comment on the case and referred to the association’s press release.
Wulff will request that the B sample be opened
According to Schwab, the 24-year-old former 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 verdict. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies,” emphasized 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 tea. The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has been warning about the substance on its website since 2010.
Simon Wulff (left) and Francesco Friedrich after winning the World Cup in Altenberg at the beginning of December 2024
Probably a longer break for Wulff
It is already clear that the Winterberg World Cup was Wulff’s last competition for the time being. Even if Wulff is acquitted, it will probably take several weeks until the case is finally clarified and possible consequences are decided. Most recently in Winterberg, Friedrich was already in a pair with his long-time partner Pusher Alexander Schüller on the road and won here too.
Wulff new to Friedrich’s team
The ex-athlete Wulff, who competes for Dresdner SC and was previously active for Bayer Leverkusen, only joined the team of four-time Olympic champion Friedrich before the season. The Dresden native had set his sights on taking part in the 2026 Olympics. This season Wulff celebrated World Cup victories in the two-man bobsleigh in Altenberg and Sigulda (Latvia). He was supposed to compete in the two-man bobsleigh with Friedrich in St. Moritz at the weekend.
SpiO/sid/dpa
