Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein gestures after a news conference in a hotel at the Scharmuetzelsee in Bad Saarow some 100 km (62.1 miles) southeast of Berlin December 8, 2009. The Swiss federal court has granted Pechstein on Tuesay, the right to compete in a World Cup event this weekend to give her a chance of qualifying for the Vancouver Olympics, pending a final decision on her appeal. Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in order to compete in her sixth Games. Reuters Pictures logo Reuters Pictures 3 months ago

Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein gestures after a news conference in a hotel at the Scharmuetzelsee in Bad Saarow some 100 km (62.1 miles) southeast of Berlin December 8, 2009. The Swiss federal court has granted Pechstein on Tuesay, the right to compete in a World Cup event this weekend to give her a chance of qualifying for the Vancouver Olympics, pending a final decision on her appeal. Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in order to compete in her sixth Games.

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  1. Scientist Gerhard Ehninger, chairman of the DGHO, explains with the help of a model featuring an erythrocyte, how the blood of German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein is composed, during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  2. Scientist Gerhard Ehninger, chairman of the DGHO, explains with the help of a model featuring an erythrocyte, how the blood of German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein is composed, during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  3. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein looks at a graphic showing her blood values during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  4. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein looks on during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  5. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein smiles during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  6. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein smiles during a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  7. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein leaves after addressing a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  8. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein leaves after addressing a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  9. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein leaves after addressing a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  10. German ice-skater Claudia Pechstein leaves after addressing a press conference at the German Institute for Hematology and Oncology (DGHO) in Berlin on March 15, 2010. The DGHO announced that Pechstein suffers a blood anomaly, which is responsible for unusual blood levels that have led to her ban for doping in July 2009 by the International Skating Union (ISU). The 37-year-old, who has won five Olympic golds over the last four Games, had failed to attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics because of the ban.
  11. Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein arrives to attend a news conference in Berlin, March 15, 2010. Olympic speed skating champion Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  12. Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein (L) and her manager Ralf Grengel attend a news conference in Berlin, March 15, 2010. Olympic speed skating champion Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  13. Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein arrives to attend a news conference in Berlin, March 15, 2010. Olympic speed skating champion Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  14. German speed skater Claudia Pechstein, center, arrives for a news conference of the German Society for Hemantology and Oncologie (DGHO) in Berlin, Germany, Monday, March 15, 2010. A group of German doctors argues that a hereditary anomaly was responsible for abnormal blood levels that led to multiple Olympic speedskating medalist Claudia Pechstein being suspended for doping. Gerhard Ehninger, the head of the German Society for Hematology and Oncology, said Monday that an evaluation of the case points to a light form of a blood anemia, spherocytosis - apparently inherited from her father. The 38-year-old Pechstein is fighting a two-year suspension imposed last year.
  15. Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein reacts as she attends a news conference in Berlin, March 15, 2010. Olympic speed skating champion Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
  16. Germany's speedskater Claudia Pechstein is surrounded by the media as she arrives for a news conference in Berlin, March 15, 2010. Olympic speed skating champion Pechstein, banned for two years after her blood profile showed abnormal values, has been trying to overturn her suspension upheld in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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