BERLIN, April 30: Former world champion Katrin Krabbe, banned for drug-taking in the early 1990s, has reached an out-of-court settlement with athletics’ ruling body to end a lengthy legal dispute.

The German’s lawyer Thomas Summerer said that settlement with the IAAF had been reached on April 19 and payment, which he declined to specify, had now been received.

“I am very satisfied,” Summerer said. “This is a case that writes sport history, it sets a precedent.

“As far as I could find out, it is the first time the IAAF paid a notable amount to settle a case.”

The IAAF confirmed in a statement that the dispute was over.

“The IAAF desires to put a definite end to the eight-year-long legal dispute with Katrin Krabbe,” the statement read.

“At its meeting on April 13-14, 2002, the IAAF council agreed the matter is finally closed.”—Reuters