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"Media release Mathias Flückiger, 18.10.2024

After more than 800 days, the Flückiger case is finally closed

Swiss mountain biker Mathias Flückiger has been definitively cleared of all allegations of anti-doping rule violations. After Swiss Sports Integrity decided not to appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) also let the deadlines for an appeal to the CAS pass. For Flückiger, this marks the end of a more than two-year battle against unjustified doping accusations.

Just over a month ago, on September 13, 2024, Mathias Flückiger received confirmation from WADA upon request: No further appeal to the CAS! This ended a long odyssey for Flückiger: “The strain over the last two years has been unbelievable. Overcoming this case, with its endless obstacles, was by far the most difficult and longest competition in my career. I am grateful that I had my family, my girlfriend and an incredibly good team by my side. They made it possible for the truth to prevail in the end.”

Several possible explanations for the origin of the false accusations
Ultimately, the verdict of the Swiss Olympic Disciplinary Chamber (DK) was so clear that it came as no surprise that neither party took the case to the CAS. In his defense, Mathias Flückiger pointed out several ways in which zeranol could have been measured in his sample. Contamination via meat from Brazil, toxins from molds when ingesting grain or the massive errors in sampling, transport and subsequent storage: all possible and realistic reasons for the atypical test result at the Swiss Championships on 5 June 2022. The fact is: there was never a usable sample, let alone a positive A sample, as has been falsely reported.

The A sample measured a tiny 0.3 nanograms of ceranol per milliliter, a value close to the detection limit and far below the WADA limit of 5 nanograms per milliliter. Below the limit value, a sample may not be described as an “abnormal finding” (positive) and is considered an “atypical finding”, in which further clarifications must be carried out and the athlete must be involved. As there was never a “positive A sample”, Mathias Flückiger could not demand that the B sample be opened.

Not a profiteer, but a victim of procedural errors
Anyone who thinks that Flückiger benefited from procedural errors in the verdict is wrong. The Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo did not benefit, but was the victim of several serious procedural errors: this is precisely what the Disciplinary Chamber (DC) of Swiss Olympic found: there were gross procedural violations that led to the general invalidity and thus unusability of the sample. This also explains why Flückiger's samples taken five days before and five days after June 5, 2022 and his hair analysis were negative. An incredible 831 days had to pass after the sloppy sample collection before the case came to an end. Far too long. Flückiger: “I am proud that I never gave up. That I had the strength to believe in justice for so long. And that I was able to overcome so many mental setbacks over all that time.”

Hoping for a reappraisal initiated by Swiss Olympic
The DK's verdict is well-founded, clear and devastating for Swiss Sports Integrity (SSI). Nevertheless, Flückiger remains dismayed. Neither SSI nor the Swiss Cycling Federation, which had communicated the case to the public as a “positive sample with anabolic steroids”, have shown any form of remorse, insight or awareness of a mistake. The two institutions are still pursuing the tactic of “letting grass grow over it”.

Mathias Flückiger is therefore all the more pleased that the Executive Board of Swiss Olympic has taken up the issue and is now endeavoring to open the case. Flückiger: “My aim is to improve the processes and responsibilities. Because the system failed massively in my case, on several occasions. It must be ensured that there will never be another case like this in Swiss sport. I hope that Swiss Olympic will set the course for a complete investigation into the case.”

Massive damage suffered
In the ruling by the DC, SSI was ordered to pay Mathias Flückiger CHF 3,000 in legal costs and CHF 43,380.45 in compensation. However, this amount by no means covers the actual costs that Mathias Flückiger has had to spend over the last two years, let alone the lost premiums and sponsorship income as well as the personal expenses. For Flückiger, there is no question that at least the actual financial loss suffered must be compensated in full.