As of: March 1, 2024, 9:53 a.m
By: Niklas Kirk
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After Sara Benfares, her sister Sofia was also suspended on suspicion of doping.
The original exoneration for Sara Benfares may therefore be shaken.
Frankfurt – A few months before the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris, the German Athletics Association is dealing with a serious doping issue.
Sara Benfares has been suspected of using banned substances since the beginning of February.
Now a sample from her sister Sofia also came back positive.
Shortly before the Olympics: Runner Sara Benfares tested positive for EPO and testosterone
First there was the case of Sara Benares.
The 22-year-old is considered a great hope in German running.
With a German championship in the 10-kilometer road race in 2022 and a personal best in the 5,000 meters at the European Athletics Championships in Munich, the German-French woman had her sights firmly set on the coming games.
However, when EPO (erythropoietin) and testosterone were detected in the blood in a doping sample by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the DLV reacted and suspended the athlete from LC Rehlingen.
Immediately after the finding, her father made a statement to the French media that was intended to exonerate his daughter.
Suspected of doping: track and field athletes Sara Benfares and her sister Sofia © Own montage – left: picture alliance/dpa/Michael Kappeler right: IMAGO/Beautiful Sports
Sara Benfares suspected of doping: Doctors question therapeutic benefits
The French news portal
SPE15
reported that the runner had been diagnosed with bone cancer.
The substances detected are intended to support the treatment of her illness, although a medical exemption for Benares has apparently not been applied for.
For the
Saarbrücker Zeitung,
which has extensively researched the matter
,
this is not the only reason why the case contains inconsistencies.
The diagnosis of bone cancer is said to have occurred in August 2022.
Nevertheless, at the end of August, Benfares took part in a training session for the “Team Saarland for Paris” at a sports campus in Saarland and is said to have “made an extremely confident impression”.
Further statements come from Georg Gitzinger from
Saarländischer Rundfunk,
who had the plausibility of the substances used to combat bone cancer assessed: “I asked four doctors and they all said: Please, testosterone and EPO together, a young athlete is suspected of doping vicinity.
EPO for cancer, yes, perhaps.
But definitely not testosterone, why should it?
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Doping in competitive sports: Sara Benfare's sister Sofia also tested positive
The responsible NADA did not want to comment further on the case involving Sara Benfares due to the ongoing proceedings.
However, it became public recently that her younger sister Sofia was apparently also convicted of doping.
The 19-year-old, who took third place over 3,000 meters at the U20 European Championships in Jerusalem, was said to have EPO detected in her blood, like her sister.
Here too, the parent club LC Rehlingen pulled the ripcord and suspended Sofia Benfares until further notice.
Erythropoietin is well known in the world of competitive sports as a stimulant.
This is a natural hormone that promotes the formation of red blood cells and thus increases the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.
The fact that the substance has now apparently also been discovered in Sister Sofia could further cast doubt on the medical necessity in the case of Sara Benfares.
Because of positive doping samples: the Benfares sisters' hometown club suggests leaving
Their home club, LC Rehlingen, where the father of the two athletes also works, is going one step further despite the ongoing proceedings.
As
tagesschau.de
reported on Thursday (February 29th), the club suggested that the entire running group around father and coach Samir Benfares leave.
If the family does not respond to this, the club will attempt to have the club leave at a spontaneous, extraordinary board meeting.
Meanwhile, NADA has filed a criminal complaint against both athletes with the Saarbrücken public prosecutor's office.
(
nki
)