Lausanne, Switzerland (My Sportsbook) - Germany's Claudia Pechstein, a five- time Olympic speed skating gold medalist, will miss the 2010 Vancouver Games after receiving a two-year ban due to blood doping. The 37-year-old Pechstein is the most successful German Winter Olympian of all time with nine total Winter Games medals. The International Skating Union said Pechstein obtained abnormal blood profile results from the 500-meter and 3,000-meter races at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships this past February. Her two-year eligibility period started on February 9, 2009. Pechstein could appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in the next three weeks. |
