March 25, 2005
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Austrian skier Hans Knauss appealed his 1 1/2-year doping ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Wednesday, hoping to reduce the suspension to a year.
The 34-year-old skier has said he plans to retire if his appeal fails before the Swiss court.
Knauss tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at a World Cup downhill at Lake Louise, Alberta, on Nov. 27. He could have faced a two-year ban. Skiing's ruling body imposed a lesser penalty March 1, saying Knauss did not act intentionally.
Knauss has won seven World Cup races in 14 seasons and was a giant slalom silver medalist at the 2003 world championships.
