Rebecca Passler has had a turbulent few days. © Pierre Teyssot

Passler's doping case was dismissed in court: Doping chaos continues

And to make matters worse! Rebecca Passler and her lawyers have disregarded the procedures of the ongoing doping case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport has declared itself not competent to hear the case of the biathlete from Antholz.

February 11, 2026

From Antholz

The long wait continues – and thus Rebecca Passler's sporting future remains uncertain. Her application to have her suspension lifted was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Therefore, due to her positive doping test, she remains banned from all biathlon competitions, including the Olympics in Antholz.

What happened? In an official statement on Wednesday, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) declared itself "not competent" to hear the case, as Passler must submit her complaint to the Italian Anti-Doping Agency (NADO). The statement reads: "The athlete initially submitted her application to the CAS and not to the relevant bodies of NADO Italia, and therefore has no procedural right to appeal to the ad hoc chamber of the CAS."

Rebecca Passler remains banned from all biathlon competitions. © Pierre Teyssot

NADO tested Passler positive for letrozole on January 26, whereupon she was suspended indefinitely. The B sample confirmed the result. According to CAS, Passler should therefore have first appealed to NADO and only as a possible next step could she appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

There is one more possibility.

One small avenue remains open: Passler has until Thursday to appeal her suspension to the national anti-doping appeals body. Should the suspension be upheld, she could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Whether the athlete from Antholz and her legal team will take this next step in the ongoing doping saga remains to be seen.

The 24-year-old woman from South Tyrol argues in her case that it was a case of contamination and that she bears no responsibility. The drug letrozole can lower estrogen levels, but it is primarily used to treat cancer.