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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German bobsled federation has banned driver Manuel Machata from racing for one year for lending a set of his bobsled runners to Russia's Alexander Zubkov, who won two gold medals at the Sochi Olympics.
Machata did not qualify for the Olympics. He lent his runners 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.
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