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Christian Ahlmann gets harsher penalty for Olympic doping offence

Christian Ahlmann riding Calvados Z

Abigail Butcher, H&H news editor

2 April, 2009

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German show jumper Christian Ahlmann has today been ordered to give back all prize-money and medals won since August 2008 after bans and fines imposed for his Olympic doping offence were increased.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) today upheld a complaint by the German Equestrian Federation that sanctions meted out to Ahlmann by the FEI — the governing body of horse sport — were “too mild”.

Last October, German show jumper Ahlmann was disciplined by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after his Olympic ride, Cöster tested positive for capsaicin, a banned substance, during the Olympic Games in August.

The FEI banned Ahlmann from competition for four months and fined a total of CHF3,500 (£1,830). But the German Equestrian Federation — the Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (DRV) — immediately appealed the decision to CAS.

This afternoon, the CAS upheld DRV’s appeal, banning Ahlmann from competition for eight months — to run from 21 August 2008 to 20 April 2009.

“All results during this period will be cancelled, and all medals and prize-money must be forfeited,” said a CAS statement this afternoon.

Christian Ahlmann has also been ordered to pay CHF5,000 (£3,000) towards legal costs incurred by DRV.

In October, DRV general secretary Dr Hanfried Haring told H&H the rider would not be considered for German national and international teams for two years. He was also asked to refund transport and accommodation costs incurred by himself and his horse at the Olympics.

Dr Haring had said: “The FEI’s punishment is not in accordance with the code of the world anti-doping agency or regulations of the DRV. The punishment should serve as an example.”


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