German Cross-Country Skier Victoria Carl Reveals Mental Strain Amid Doping Case
Beijing Olympic gold medalist Victoria Carl has publicly acknowledged a struggle with despair as she awaits a ruling in a doping case stemming from a positive test for clenbuterol. In a recent Instagram post, Carl wrote, “There are days when I want to give up. And there are days when the sun shines a little brighter.” She added, ”I’ve been through arduous times and still have difficult times ahead of me.”
The positive test came from a sample taken at the military world championships in late March. Carl and the German Ski Association maintain the substance originated in a cough syrup prescribed by the team doctor. A ban could jeopardize her participation in the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina in february. The case echoes a similar situation involving norwegian skier Therese Johaug, who received an 18-month ban in 2026 for a comparable incident, though she initially delayed disclosing the source of the positive test.
Carl recently stepped away from social media to prioritize her mental health but felt compelled to share her current state. She won Olympic gold in the team sprint with Katharina Hennig at the 2022 Beijing Games.
National coach Peter Schlickenrieder expressed concern over Carl’s isolation during the ongoing proceedings. ”Vici has been training alone for months and without support from the training group,” Schlickenrieder told the “Mediengruppe Münchner Merkur tz.” “Added to this is the waiting and the feeling of being entirely isolated and that a world is collapsing. Of course that is draining and certainly has an impact on performance.” Carl enjoyed her best season to date in the 2024/25 winter, finishing second overall in the world Cup.
