German cross-country skier and Olympic champion Victoria Carl fails doping test

BERLIN (AP) – German cross-country skier Victoria Carl has tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol, the German skiing association said Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Carl, who won gold in the cross-country team sprint alongside Katharina Henning at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, failed the test after her final race at the Military World Games in March. She also finished second in the overall World Cup standings last season.

The skiing association, known by its German acronym DSV, said Carl’s positive test for clenbuterol arose after she was given the wrong cough syrup to treat acute spastic bronchitis by a German army doctor.

“This is a regrettable isolated incident that arose from an unfortunate combination of organizational and medical circumstances – not from any intent to deceive the athlete,” the DSV said.

The DSV published a statement from the German army’s medical service saying the skier was erroneously given the combination drug Spasmo Mucosolvan containing ambroxol and clenbuterol instead of Mucosolvan containing just ambroxol.

Germany’s National Anti-Doping Agency has initiated proceedings. The DSV and German army said they’re hoping for the athlete’s “complete acquittal.”

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games open on Feb. 6.