Rebecca Passler cleared for Olympic relay after Nutella contamination claim

Lead

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler returned to her team at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics after a provisional suspension tied to a positive test for the banned substance letrozole was set aside on appeal. She resumed training on Monday at the Antholz-Anterselva Biathlon Arena and is eligible only for the women’s relay on Wednesday. The national anti-doping body, Nado Italia, upheld her appeal against the provisional ban, while a full tribunal is expected to hear the case later. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) noted the clearance is provisional and the matter remains subject to further adjudication.

Key Takeaways

• Rebecca Passler tested positive for letrozole on 26 January and was provisionally suspended following that result.
• Nado Italia upheld her appeal against the provisional suspension, allowing her to rejoin the Italian squad at the Winter Olympics.
• Passler resumed practice on Monday at Antholz-Anterselva, training on the range under coach supervision.
• She is eligible to compete only in the women’s relay, scheduled for Wednesday; earlier individual races were missed due to the suspension.
• Passler, 24, told authorities she lives with her mother, who is being treated for breast cancer with letrozole, and suggested contamination from a shared spoon used for Nutella.
• WADA underscored that the appeal decision is provisional and that a tribunal will be established by Nado Italia to hear the full case.

Background

The positive test for letrozole, a substance prohibited under anti-doping rules, was recorded on 26 January, triggering a provisional suspension under standard procedures. Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor sometimes used in breast cancer treatment; its presence in an athlete’s sample prompts immediate measures while investigations proceed. Anti-doping authorities apply a strict-liability framework: athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance found in their samples, regardless of intent. National bodies like Nado Italia initially impose provisional suspensions to protect competition integrity while giving athletes the right to appeal.

Passler, a 24-year-old member of Italy’s biathlon squad, had been unable to participate in earlier events at Milano Cortina because of the provisional ban. The case drew public attention because she attributed the finding to accidental contamination from a household product, saying she used a spoon to eat Nutella that may have contacted letrozole residues from her mother’s medication. Similar domestic-contamination claims have surfaced in past anti-doping cases, raising difficult questions about household exposure versus athlete responsibility.

Main Event

On Monday Passler took to the range at Antholz-Anterselva, firing rounds in groups of five while coaches observed, a sign that Italy is preparing her for the women’s relay. Team captain Klaus Hoellrigl said he was considering naming her to the four-person relay squad after she missed individual races earlier in the Games. Nado Italia’s decision to uphold the appeal removed the immediate administrative barrier to competition, but it did not resolve the underlying facts or impose a final sanction status.

Passler’s explanation to investigators centers on household cross-contamination: she stated she lives with her mother, who is taking letrozole for breast cancer, and that a spoon used for Nutella may have transferred trace amounts. Officials at the venue reported a focused training session and careful monitoring by team staff; coaches described the atmosphere as professionally restrained while the legal process continues. Organizers and anti-doping officials emphasized that allowing an athlete to train does not equate to final exoneration.

WADA responded to the procedural development by reminding stakeholders that provisional clearances do not preclude a full disciplinary hearing. Nado Italia said it had upheld the appeal after reviewing evidence presented by Passler, but it also announced plans to convene a tribunal to examine the case in full. The athlete’s immediate reinstatement is therefore temporary and contingent on the tribunal’s forthcoming determination.

Analysis & Implications

The case highlights tensions between athlete welfare, household medical treatments, and the uncompromising nature of anti-doping rules. Under strict liability, an athlete can be sanctioned even if contamination is accidental; proving a credible, non-intentional source is often the athlete’s primary defense. Passler’s account — involving a family member’s prescription medication and a shared kitchen utensil — exemplifies the kind of contamination argument that requires meticulous chain-of-custody evidence and expert toxicology to assess plausibility.

For Italy’s team, the immediate implication is tactical: if Passler is included in the women’s relay, coaches must weigh her recent time away from competition and any psychological impact against her shooting and skiing form observed in training. For anti-doping governance, the episode may prompt renewed attention to domestic exposure scenarios and whether additional guidance or education is needed for athletes living with people on prescription drugs. It also raises questions about how quickly provisional decisions can be appealed and the standards applied by national tribunals.

On a broader level, the precedent set by the tribunal’s eventual ruling could affect how similar cases are handled internationally, particularly where family members use medications prohibited for sport. National federations may increase education about cross-contamination risks in shared households and kitchens. Meanwhile, WADA’s emphasis that the decision is provisional preserves the organization’s ability to monitor consistency in sanctions across jurisdictions.

Comparison & Data

The table above summarizes the timeline as publicly reported: the initial positive on 26 January, the appeal step reported as upheld on Friday, Passler’s return to team training on Monday, and her eligibility limited to the relay on Wednesday. These milestones outline the procedural flow from a positive sample to provisional reinstatement pending a formal tribunal.

Reactions & Quotes

“We are monitoring her condition and considering squad selection for the relay,”

Klaus Hoellrigl, Italy team captain

Hoellrigl’s comment framed the decision as both an administrative development and a tactical question for the team’s relay composition.

“This is a provisional procedural outcome; a tribunal will need to examine the full facts,”

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)

WADA’s response emphasized that the provisional nature of the appeal ruling leaves open further review at a formal hearing.

“Nado Italia reviewed the athlete’s evidence and allowed training to resume while the case proceeds to a tribunal,”

Nado Italia (national anti-doping authority)

Nado Italia framed its decision as an administrative determination to lift a provisional measure pending a more comprehensive tribunal process.

Unconfirmed

• The precise mechanism by which letrozole would transfer from a household spoon to produce a detectable anti-doping finding has not been independently verified.
• The detailed evidence and expert testimony that Nado Italia considered in upholding the appeal have not been published in full.
• The tribunal date, composition, and potential sanctions or exoneration outcome remain to be determined.

Bottom Line

Rebecca Passler’s temporary reinstatement allows her to train and potentially compete in the women’s relay at Milano Cortina, but it does not represent a final adjudication of the letrozole finding. The case underscores how domestic exposure claims complicate anti-doping adjudication under a strict-liability regime and will require careful forensic and procedural review at the upcoming tribunal.

Observers should expect the tribunal to assess laboratory evidence, household context and chain-of-custody records before reaching a conclusion. Until that hearing concludes, the athlete’s competitive status and any long-term consequences remain unsettled.

Sources

• The Guardian (media report)
• Nado Italia (national anti-doping authority)
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (international anti-doping organisation)