Marathon runner Cornelia ‘Conny’ Köpper has been sanctioned with a ten year ban until 10 December 2030, for trafficking erythropoietin (EPO), Genotropin and testosterone to triathletes; and for possession and use of human albumin and prohibited infusions. The Austrian anti-doping rights commission (ÖADR) found that Köpper had used prohibited infusions ahead of the 2014 Graz Marathon, which she won (2:45:18); and ahead of the 2015 Linz Marathon, in which she finished second (2:43:13).

‘The procedure carried out by the ÖADR, taking into account the evidence presented, showed at the oral hearing that Cornelia Köpper obtained the prohibited substances EPO, Genotropin, and testosterone from Croatia, and passed them on to a triathlon athlete and his supervisor’, read a statement from the ÖADR (click here to download in Austrian). ‘In addition, before the Graz Marathon 2014 and the Linz Marathon 2015, she used the forbidden method of intravenous infusions of more than 50ml within a period of six hours. She is therefore banned from participating in sports events of any kind, in particular competitive events, for a period of ten years.’

The ÖADR did not announce details regarding to which triathlete and supervisor Köpper had passed EPO, Genotropin, and testosterone. In July his year, it sanctioned former Olympic cyclist Johann Lienhart for obtaining and supplying EPO, Genotropin and testosterone gel for his son, triathlete Florian Lienhart. Florian was sanctioned with a four year ban in February for an ADRV involving EPO, after the Operation Aderlass investigations into the customers of Dr. Mark Schmidt revealed he had also obtained and used Genotropin in Spring 2019. Although the substances involved are the same, there is no evidence that Köpper’s sanction is related to Operation Aderlass or the Lienharts.