Nov. 14--The odd tale of the pop violinist who moonlights as an Olympic skier just won't go away.
Vanessa-Mae has now vowed to fight a four-year ban she received this week for skiing in manipulated races. Officials handed down the punishment after finding the 36-year-old took part in the events to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Games, where she competed for Thailand under the name Vanessa Vanakorn.
Calling the ban "nonsense," Vanessa-Mae released a statement to the German news agency DPA, saying: "We will of course take it to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport."
The international ski federation said the Slovenian qualifiers in question were organized through Vanessa-Mae's management company and the Thailand Olympic Committee. They included altered times, results for skiers who were not present and other discrepancies.
Several officials were punished as a result of the investigation.
Vanessa-Mae finished last in the giant slalom at Sochi. As a musician, she has parlayed her self-described blend of classical, pop and jazz violin into millions of dollars in record sales.
