Posted: March 24, 2005

Triathlon: Katja Schumacher Comments on Nina Kraft's Reduced Ban for EPO Infraction

EPO triathlon cheat Nina Kraft gets reduced ban

FRANKFURT (Germany): Germany’s disgraced Ironman Triathlon world champion Nina Kraft has seen her initial two-year ban for using the blood-boosting drug EPO sport reduced to 12 months, the German Triathlon Union (DTU) confirmed on Monday. The 35-year-old became the first German woman to win the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii back on October 17 2002 but tested positive for EPO (erythropoietin) a month later and was hit with a two-year ban. But after reviewing the doping laws the DTU have decided to halve Kraft’s sentence in accordance with the 1995 anti-doping law. Kraft had to give back her $100,000 prize money from Hawaii and at the age of 35 many believe she will retire from triathlon rather than sit out her one-year ban. The Kraft revelation persuaded the DTU to bring in more random drug tests as they look to improve the tarnished image of the sport. (AFP)

The Runner's Web contacted Katja Schumacher (see story Katja Schumacher Continues to Fight Drug Test Injustice ) to get her comments on this development.

Katja Schumacher: "I really would like to see a safe and secure drug testing system in the future. A system that catches the real cheaters, but doesn't accuse innocent athletes A system with rules, that everybody has to follow. Safe testing and independent judging are the key to a clean sport in the future. "