Quick Facts
Biography
Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle (German pronunciation: [ˈeːfi ˈzaxənbaxɐˈʃteːlə]; born 27 November 1980) is a retired German cross-country skier and biathlete from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998. She was born in Traunstein, West Germany. Competing in three Winter Olympics, she won five medals with two golds (Team sprint: 2010, 4 × 5 km: 2002) and three silvers (Individual sprint: 2002, 4 × 5 km: 2006, 2010).
Sachenbacher-Stehle has also won six medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a gold (4 × 5 km: 2003) and four silvers (5 km + 5 km double pursuit: 2003, team sprint: 2007 with Claudia Künzel-Nystad, 4 × 5 km: 2009) and a bronze. She also has fourteen individual victories at various levels in distances up to 5 km in her career from 1998 to 2006.
From the 2012/2013 season, she switched to biathlon, citing motivational problems, and was given a slot in the German B-team. Members of the B-team are eligible to compete in IBU Cup races. Her results in the IBU-Cup made her eligible to compete in the Biathlon World Cup. In her first World Cup race, on 14 December 2012 in Pokljuka, Sachenbacher-Stehle finished 59th. On 6 January 2013 she achieved the first IBU Cup podium, finishing second in the 7.5 km sprint in Otepää. As of January 2014, her best individual performance in a World Cup race remains 6th place in 7.5 km sprint in Sochi on 10 March 2013. She finished 4th in the 12.5 kilometre mass start biathlon competition of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games on 17 February 2014.
On 21 February 2014, it was confirmed that Sachenbacher-Stehle had tested positive for methylhexanamine during the Sochi Olympic Games. She was stripped of her Olympic accreditation, and her results were annulled. In July 2014, she was banned for 2 years for doping. In November 2014 it was announced that the Court of Arbitration for Sport had ruled that her ban should be cut to six months after she appealed, on the grounds that her failed test was due to contamination of food supplements. However shortly afterwards she announced her retirement from the sport in an interview on the television programme Sportschau.
She married German alpine skier Johannes Stehle in July 2005.
World Cup results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Individual podiums
- 3 victories
- 12 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001–02 | 27 December 2001 |  Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany | 1.5 km Sprint F | World Cup | 1st |
| 2 | 2002–03 | 23 November 2002 |  Kiruna, Sweden | 5 km F Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 3 | 12 February 2003 | Reit im Winkl, Germany | 1 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | |
| 4 | 22 March 2003 | Falun, Sweden | 2x5 km M Pursuit | World Cup | 2nd | |
| 5 | 2003–04 | 29 November 2003 |  Kuusamo, Finland | 2x7.5 km M Pursuit | World Cup | 3rd |
| 6 | 24 February 2004 |  Trondheim, Norway | 1.5 km Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | |
| 7 | 2005–06 | 15 December 2005 |  Canmorel, Canada | 10 km F Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 8 | 8 March 2006 | Falun, Sweden | 2x5 km M Pursuit | World Cup | 1st | |
| 9 | 11 March 2006 | Oslo, Norway | 30 km F Mass Start | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 10 | 19 March 2006 |  Sapporo, Japan | 2x7.5 km M Pursuit | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 11 | 2007–08 | 1 March 2008 | Lahti, Finland | 1.2 km Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 12 | 2009–10 | 1 March 2008 |  Rybinsk, Russia | 15 km M Pursuit | World Cup | 2nd |
Team podiums
- 7 victories
- 25 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998–99 | 26 February 1999 | Falun, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Championships[a] | 3rd | (with Bauer / Roth / Wille) |
| 2 | 2001–02 | 10 March 2002 | Falun, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 3rd | (with Henkel / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 3 | 2002–03 | 24 November 2002 | Kiruna, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 4 | 8 December 2002 |  Davos, Switzerland | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 3rd | (with Henkel / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 5 | 19 January 2003 |  Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 1st | (with Bauer / Henkel / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 6 | 19 January 2003 |  Asiago, Italy | 6x1.4 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | (with Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 7 | 23 March 2003 | Falun, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 1st | (with Henkel / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 8 | 2003–04 | 23 November 2003 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Böhler / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 9 | 7 December 2003 | Dobbiaco, Italy | 6x0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | (with Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 10 | 14 December 2003 | Davos, Switzerland | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Böhler / Henkel / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 11 | 11 January 2004 |  Otepää, Estonia | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 12 | 15 February 2004 | Oberstdorf, Germany | 6x0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | (with Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 13 | 2004–05 | 24 November 2004 | Düsseldorf, Germany | 6x0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel) |
| 14 | 21 November 2004 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 3rd | (with Böhler / Reschwam Schulze / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 15 | 12 December 2004 | Lago di Tesero, Italy | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Künzel-Nystad / Böhler) | |
| 16 | 2005–06 | 20 November 2005 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Böhler / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 17 | 15 February 2004 | Sapporo, Japan | 6x0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | (with Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 18 | 2006–07 | 19 November 2006 | Gällivare, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel / Zeller / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 19 | 17 December 2006 |  La Clusaz, France | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 1st | (with Böhler / Bauer / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 20 | 25 March 2007 | Falun, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 1st | (with Bauer / Böhler / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 21 | 2007–08 | 25 November 2007 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Böhler / Zeller / Künzel-Nystad) |
| 22 | 9 December 2007 | Davos, Switzerland | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Henkel, Zeller, Böhler) | |
| 23 | 24 February 2008 | Falun, Sweden | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Böhler / Zeller / Künzel-Nystad) | |
| 24 | 2009–10 | 1 March 2008 | Rybinsk, Russia | 6x0.8 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 1st | (with Böhler) |
| 25 | 7 March 2010 | Lahti, Finland | 4x5 km M Relay | World Cup | 2nd | (with Fessel / Zeller / Gössner) |
- a. 1 1999 World Championship races are included in the 1998–99 World Cup scoring system.
Overall record
| Result | Distance Races[a] | Sprint | Ski Tours | Individual Events | Team Events | All Events | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 5 km[b] | ≤ 10 km[b] | ≤ 15 km[b] | ≤ 30 km[b] | ≥ 30 km[b] | Pursuit[c] | Team Sprint | Relay[d] | |||||
| 1st place | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2nd place | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | 4 | 3 | 10 | 17 |
| 3rd place | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 5 | – | 5 | 10 |
| Podiums | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 12 | 5 | 20 | 37 |
| Top 10 | 4 | 22 | 7 | 9 | – | 17 | 19 | 3 | 81 | 10 | 27 | 118 |
| Points | 13 | 61 | 17 | 11 | – | 27 | 63 | 4 | 196 | 11 | 27 | 234 |
| Others | 5 | 8 | 2[e] | 1 | – | 2 | 14 | 4[f] | 36 | – | – | 36 |
| Starts | 18 | 69 | 19 | 12 | – | 29 | 77 | 8 | 232 | 11 | 27 | 270 |
- a. 1 Classification is made according to FIS classification.
- b. 1 2 3 4 5 Includes individual and mass start races.
- c. 1 Includes pursuit and double pursuit races.
- d. 1 May be incomplete due to lack of appropriate sources prior to 2001.
- e. 1 1 DNF (did not finish the race).
- f. 1 Withdrawn from the tour (4 times).
Note: Until 1999 World Championships, World Championship races are part of the World Cup. Hence results from the 1999 World Championships are included in the World Cup overall record.
Olympic results
- 5 medals – (2 gold, 3 silver)
Cross Country Skiing
| Year | Age | 10 km individual | 2x5 km pursuit | 15 km pursuit | 15 km mass start | 30 km mass start | Sprint | 4x5 km relay | Team sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 21 | – | 18 | N/A | 12 | – | 2 | 1 | N/A |
| 2006 | 25 | 20 | N/A | – | N/A | 13 | – | 2 | 5 |
| 2010 | 29 | 12 | N/A | 11 | N/A | 4 | – | 2 | 1 |
Controversy
Sachenbacher received a five-day suspension at the beginning of the 2006 Winter Olympics due to a high hemoglobin level. She was one of twelve athletes given five-day suspensions for health reasons – the International Ski Federation decided they could not safely compete due to an abnormally high red blood cell counts.
Biathlon
| Year | Age | Individual | Sprint | Pursuit | Mass Start | Relay | Mixed Relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 33 | 20 | 11 | 27 | DSQ | – | DSQ |
Sachenbacher-Stehle was later disqulified after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
World Championship results
- 6 medals – (1 gold, 4 silver, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 5 km individual | 10 km individual | 2x5 km pursuit | 15 km pursuit | 15 km mass start | 30 km mass start | Sprint | 4x5 km relay | Team sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 18 | 23 | N/A | 25 | N/A | – | – | N/A | 3 | N/A |
| 2001 | 20 | N/A | – | – | N/A | 31 | N/A | – | – | N/A |
| 2003 | 22 | N/A | – | 2 | N/A | – | 6 | 5 | 1 | N/A |
| 2005 | 24 | N/A | 17 | N/A | – | N/A | – | – | 4 | – |
| 2007 | 26 | N/A | 6 | N/A | 4 | N/A | – | – | 2 | 2 |
| 2009 | 28 | N/A | – | N/A | 13 | N/A | DNS | – | 2 | 7 |
| 2011 | 30 | N/A | – | N/A | 13 | N/A | 13 | – | 5 | – |