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The doping chaos in Benfares’ house is spreading. After Sara Benfares (22), her sister Sofia (19) has now also tested positive for blood doping.
While the two German middle-distance runners have already been expelled from their club LC Rehlingen, the athletes are still waiting for the official punishment.
Treating cancer as the cause?
It is the end of January when Sara Benfares gets stuck in a doping test. The young runner tests positive for EPO (erythropoietin) and the hormone testosterone and is subsequently excluded from the 2024 Olympic team.
Father and coach Samir Benfares (55), also a former middle-distance runner, then responds to the doping findings on the French portal “SPE15” with a shocking clarification: Daughter Sara suffers from bone cancer and has therefore been treated with EPO and testosterone.
However, Papa Benfares’ statement is soon questioned. EPO can actually be used in the treatment of cancer to prevent possible anemia. However, this justification is not suitable for testosterone.
Doubts grow after second doping case
The course of his daughter’s illness outlined by Samir Benfares also does not correspond to Sara Benfares’ competitive performance and social media activities.
In October, a month after the suspected diagnosis and the associated chemotherapy, Sara Benfares appeared again on Instagram during intensive training. At the beginning of December she ran a very strong time over 20 kilometers on the Escalade in Geneva. Her father’s statement? He attributes this success to her ‘natural talent’: the training stations were set up to save a sponsorship deal.
Now completely new accusations are being made against the Benfares family. With the positive EPO values in Sara’s sister Sofia, the cancer story is even more doubtful. It would be a dirty and especially tasteless excuse for a doping violation.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
