The Norwegian Sports Confederation said on Friday it had suspended cross-country skier Therese Johaug for 13 months after she tested positive for steroids. The suspension is a month shorter than the 14-month ban the Norwegian Anti-Doping Organisation had sought, and will allow Johaug, a seven-time world champion, to participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February 2018.
The 28-year-old skier has been temporarily suspended since October 18 after testing positive for traces of the anabolic steroid clostebol, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), during an out-of-competition drug test on September 16. Johaug said the steroid was contained in a lip cream called Trofodermin, which she used to treat burns during a training session at high altitude in Italy in late August.
National ski team doctor Fredrik Bendiksen, who has insisted he did not realise the cream contained clostebol, has taken full responsibility and resigned from his post in October.
In its ruling, the Confederation appeared to accept Johaug's argument that she had accidentally ingested the steroid, rather than deliberately attempted to cheat.
"I understand that the rules on doping have to be strict," Johaug said in a statement.
"However, it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth to be suspended for 13 months for using a lip balm. I'm going to spend the next few days thinking with my lawyer about what to do," she said.
The Confederation said Johaug ought to have been more careful about the substances she was taking, but also toned down her guilt in the matter.
"There is no reason to believe that the use of Trofodermin can have a performance-enhancing effect due to clostebol," it said in its ruling.
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