Mario Seidl: Doping lock as a judiciary-he fights for his innocence!

Mario Seidl: Doping lock as a judiciary-he fights for his innocence!

Österreich - Mario Seidl, a prominent Nordic combiner, has referred to the confirmation of his four-year doping lock by the International Sports Court (CAS) as a "malimission" and emphasizes that he is innocent. This lock applies from November 28, 2019 to November 27, 2023 and resulted from striking blood values ​​during a control in January 2020. Seidl is of the opinion that the decision is based on a wrong basic hypothesis of the anti-doping authorities, which in his statement does not maintain the presumption of innocence. He criticizes the sports jurisdiction as unfair and sees himself in his reputation and career as a victim of a judgment of justice. All competition results from the periods from the periods from October 6, 2016 to February 18, 2017 and from February 19, 2019 to April 1, 2019, which loses two of his four bronze medals.

The backing of the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV) came after the decision of the CAS, which was published on May 20, 2025. Seidl's objection to the lock was unsuccessful, and the independent arbitration commission had already decided on his case on April 28, 2023. In July 2022, the decision was made retrospectively about the four -year lock. In recent years, Seidl has not only fought against doping accusations, but also against the psychological and financial burdens associated with this legal dispute.

health problems and doping accusation

Seidl's defense is based on his diagnosis of a rare immune disease called hypogamtaglobulinemia, which can influence his blood count and may have led to the striking values. He tried to clarify his case by catching up with medical reports and even completing a lie detector test. Nevertheless, he was convicted of blood doping based on Article 2.2 of the anti-doping rules of the FIS

The Austrian athlete has won a total of three times World Cup bronze and an Olympic bronze medal and sees parallels to the long legal dispute of the speed of ice skating Claudia Pechstein, which was also involved in similar problems. In an interview, Seidl indicated that the situation is heavily burdening him and doubts about a continuation of his career, since a retroactive lock of one and a half years has already expired. The sporting consequences are serious and the investigation against him has been running for over five years.

Seidl not only lost his sporting integrity, but also faces the challenge of how it goes on professionally. On May 20, 2025, the ÖSV approved the judgment of the CAS with regret and plans to advise on the further procedure with Seidl. It remains to be seen which steps Seidl will initiate next to wash his name in and refute the persistent allegations.