Skiing violinist Vanessa-Mae banned for four years for fixed races

International Ski Federation say the athlete's Sochi qualifying results were 'manipulated'

Classical violinist Vanessa-Mae has been banned for four years from skiing.

The musician-turned-athlete was found by the International Ski Federation (FIS) to be the subject of “manipulated” results in qualifying for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

The violinist, whose last album was 2004’s ‘Choreography’, qualified for the Winter Olympics at hastily-arranged races taking place in Slovenia just days before the qualifying deadline in January.

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As BBC Sport reports, an independent hearing has found that not only were the races arranged at the request of Vanessa-Mae’s management, but that the results contained further inaccuracies. These included one competitor being included in the results list despite not being present and another participant noted as finishing runner-up despite having fallen earlier in the race. The latter is said to have had their finishing time altered by more than 10 seconds.

“The hearing panel found to its comfortable satisfaction that the results of the four ladies giant slalom races that took place on 18 and 19 January at Krvavec were manipulated,” a statement from the FIS reads.

Vanessa-Mae, racing as Vanessa Vanakorn, finished last of 67 competitors in the giant slalom at the Sochi Games.

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