German bobsled driver Machata banned for 1 year
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German bobsled federation has banned driver Manuel Machata from racing for one year for lending his bobsled to Russia's Vladimir Zubkov, who won two gold medals at the Sochi Olympics.
Machata did not qualify for the Olympics. He lent his private bobsled to Zubkov for a fee.
Germany failed to win a bobsled medal in Sochi.
The German bobsled federation says "the relatively hard punishment" for Machata should be seen as a "first step to defend national interests."
Machata was also fined 5,000 euros ($6,884) for causing "great damage" to the interests of the federation.
