The International Skating Union has blasted a ''massive media campaign'' by five-time Olympic speedskating champion Claudia Pechstein and said Pechstein has not been cleared of doping.
2. The International Skating Union has blasted a
''massive media campaign'' by five-time Olympic
speedskating champion Claudia Pechstein and said
Pechstein has not been cleared of doping.
The world governing body of skating said it felt
compelled to issue a statement as "public opinion" has
swung in the favor of Germany's most decorated
Winter Olympian. This was after a Munich appeals
court in January ruled that Pechstein could go ahead
with a lawsuit seeking damages from the
International Skating Union.
3. The ruling in Munich went against the Court of
Arbitration for Sport and allowed the German skater to
proceed with a lawsuit demanding 4.4 million euros ($4.85
million) in compensation from the International Skating
Union for lost income during her suspension. The ISU
lodged an appeal with the German Federal Court of Justice
and said the independence of the DOSB's expert
commission could be questioned as its chairman -
Wolfgang Jelkmann - has testified on the behalf of
Pechstein as her main expert. The ISU statement said it
emphatically believes this person cannot possibly be
considered impartial or neutral and added the opinions of
the commission demonstrated 'scientific shortcomings'.