Italian Biathlete Passler Wins Appeal, Eyes Winter Games

Passler overcomes doping hurdle, heads to Olympics

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler is cleared to compete in the Winter Olympics after testing positive for Letrozole, citing contamination from a shared spoon.

“Passler will rejoin her teammates starting Monday, February 16th, when she will be available to the coaching...”

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler is cleared to compete in the Winter Olympics after her doping appeal was upheld. She tested positive for Letrozole, a banned substance, on January 26, but argued that the offence was accidental.

Passler claimed the contamination likely came from a shared spoon used to scoop Nutella in her family home, where her mother was taking Letrozole for breast cancer treatment. The Italian anti-doping body (NADO) accepted her explanation, acknowledging unintentional ingestion or contamination.

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler has been cleared to compete in the Winter Olympics despite testing positive for the banned substance Letrozole. She claimed the contamination likely came from a shared spoon used to scoop Nutella at her family home, where her mother is being treated for breast cancer with Letrozole.

Passler's appeal was upheld by Italy's anti-doping body (NADO), citing “unintentional ingestion or unknowing contamination” as a plausible explanation. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted this explanation, stating it wouldn't have provided a performance benefit. Passler is set to rejoin her teammates on Monday, February 16, and may participate in the women's relay on February 18.

The Italian anti-doping body's Court of Appeal accepted Passler's claim, acknowledging the possibility of unintentional ingestion or contamination, likely due to the shared spoon used with her mother, who's taking Letrozole for breast cancer treatment.

“Passler will rejoin her teammates starting Monday, February 16th, when she will be available to the coaching staff for the subsequent competitions on the Olympic ⁠programme,” FISI said in a statement.

Italian Biathlete Rebecca Passler's Doping Appeal

Rebecca Passler, an Italian biathlete, was initially excluded from the Winter Olympics team by Italy's National Olympic Committee (CONI) after testing positive for the banned substance Letrozole on January 26. She appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), claiming contamination was the cause, but CAS ruled it had no jurisdiction and advised her to appeal to Italy's anti-doping body (NADO).

Passler's appeal was successful, with NADO's Court of Appeal acknowledging unintentional ingestion or contamination, likely from a shared spoon used with her mother's breast cancer medication. She's now cleared to compete, rejoining her teammates on February 16, and is eligible for events like the women's relay on February 18.

“These have been very difficult days,” said the 24-year-old Passler, whose best result was 11th in the women's 4x6km relay at the 2024 IBU World Championships.

“I have always believed in my good faith. I want to thank everyone who helped me - from ‌the lawyers who followed my case, to the Italian Winter Sports Federation, to my family and friends. Now I can ‌finally focus 100% on biathlon again,” she added in the FISI statement.

CHE BELLA NOTIZIA 💙

Ricorso accolto: Rebecca Passler raggiungere la squadra azzurra il 16 febbraio e sarà a disposizione per le restanti gare del programma olimpico, staffetta femminile inclusa 🙏

La Corte Nazionale d'Appello di Nado Italia ha riconosciuto l’apparente… pic.twitter.com/xLGxkFjPZ4

— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) February 13, 2026

Passler's appeal was upheld by Italy's anti-doping body (NADO), acknowledging unintentional ingestion or contamination. She's set to rejoin her teammates on February 16 and may participate in the women's relay on February 18 or the 12.5 km mass start event on February 21. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) hasn't commented, and Passler could still face a lengthy ban once the appeals process is complete.