The legal dispute between speed skater Claudia Pechstein and the International Skating Union (ISU) over compensation for pain and suffering and damages in the millions has come to an end, according to the German skater.
03.03.2025, 17:19
SDA
As her partner Matthias Grosse announced, the "Pechstein case came to a clear and conciliatory end on February 27, 2025 after more than 16 years". No details of the settlement in the multi-million euro dispute were disclosed. There will be no further statements from Team Pechstein for the time being.
The 53-year-old Olympic champion had sued the ISU for damages and compensation for pain and suffering amounting to almost 8.4 million euros for a two-year doping ban imposed in 2009, which in her opinion was unjustified. Pechstein, who won 9 Olympic and 41 World Championship medals between 1992 and 2017, had always denied doping and repeated this in court.
At the hearing before the Munich Higher Regional Court, the judge suggested an out-of-court settlement. The ISU should then formulate a declaration of honor. Pechstein should then decide whether she agrees to this. The amount of compensation could then be negotiated. "If the ISU publicly admits that it was wrong to ban me, I am prepared to make a settlement," Pechstein declared in court.
The starting point for the legal marathon through sports and civil courts was a two-year ban imposed on Pechstein by the International Skating Union (ISU) on July 1, 2009 for violating the anti-doping rules. She was responsible for using the prohibited method of blood doping, according to the reasoning. Excessive levels of reticulocytes had been detected during blood tests at the all-around world championships from February 7 to 9, 2009 in Hamar, Norway.
Reticulocytes are "young" red blood cells that are only detectable for a short time before they become "adult" blood cells. These are responsible for transporting oxygen in the body. Pechstein was diagnosed with a blood abnormality (spherocytosis) inherited from her father. Even after her ban expired, her reticulocyte values remained higher than permitted, but she was no longer sanctioned by the ISU.
