Italian Biathlete Rebecca Passler Suspended for Doping Ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics

Italian biathlete Rebecca Passler tested positive for the banned substance letrozol just four days before the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina. The test, conducted on January 26 by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) outside of competition, led to her immediate suspension and exclusion from the Olympic team.

Letrozol is a substance commonly used by female athletes for weight loss and is also a medication for early-stage breast cancer. Passler, aged 24, along with her lawyer and boyfriend Dominic Unterweger, an Austrian biathlete, have not publicly commented on the doping case, although Unterweger has been reported to be emotionally affected.

The Italian Ski Federation's president, Flavio Roda, emphasized the importance of clarifying the situation to protect both Passler's career and the federation's reputation. Meanwhile, the Italian mixed biathlon team has been instructed not to discuss Passler's doping case with the media, focusing instead on their Olympic participation. The results of Passler's B sample are expected to be announced soon.

This doping case casts a shadow over the Italian biathlon team at the Olympics and highlights the strict anti-doping controls in place during the Games.