IOC consider Austria ban
ByReuters
Published 23/02/2006 at 10:19 GMT
The head of the Austrian Ski Federation is meeting an Italian prosecutor probing a possible use of illegal substances or methods by Olympic athletes on Thursday, a Federation spokesman said. "He is in Turin, meeting with the prosecutor," a federation spok
OLYMPIC GAMES Torino Raid Austria
Image credit: dpa
"His lawyer called and said he should come to Turin to see the prosecutor and he is now with both of them."
Police on Saturday raided the houses of the Austrian Olympic biathletes and cross-country skiers, confiscated syringes,
medication and other material, while controllers tested 10 athletes for doping.
The raid was triggered by the presence of Austrian coach Walter Mayer, who was banned from the Olympic Games up to and including the Winter Olympics in 2010 for his role in a blood transfusion scandal at Salt Lake City in 2002.
Doping tests were carried out on ten Austrian athletes after the raids on Saturday.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokeswoman Giselle Davies told a news conference on Thursday the results of the tests would be out soon.
"One would imagine that we would have the test results before the Games are over," she said.
Austria fears the IOC could ban it altogether from future Olympics Games after the doping scandal.
The Austrian Olympic Committee has launched a probe of its own into Mayer, who was detained by police on his way back to Austria after he tried to ram a police roadblock. He has now been admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
The IOC has said it will also set up a disciplinary commission into the affair.
"People are thinking about punishing us, even about banning us," Austrian Olympic Committee secretary general Heinz Jungwirth told Austrian news agency APA on Thursday.
"We want to avoid that. The damage of a ban would be impossible to make good again.
"There's a storm brewing at the IOC. Whether the doping tests are positive or negative doesn't matter," Jungwirth said.
"There was equipment found that was clearly not allowed, including equipment for blood transfusions."
'PRESUMED INNOCENT'
Austrian Ice Hockey Federation chief Dieter Kalt has been appointed head of the Austrian investigating committee with Austrian skiing veteran champion Franz Klammer.
"So far, there are just allegations from many sides but not a single result in either direction. Therefore, everybody has to be presumed innocent," Kalt told Austrian news agency APA.
"Neither athletes, nor coaches, nor the Austrian people deserve ... to be discredited like that," he said.
The IOC rejected claims that ties with Austria were strained.
"There is no pressure being put by the IOC," Davies told reporters. "There are perfectly good relations between the IOC and the Austrian National Olympic Committee."
Davies said she welcomed the internal investigation, adding it would complement their own disciplinary commission operation.
Jungwirth told Reuters coach Emil Hoch, who also disappeared shortly after the raids, would be banned from future Olympics.
"We've suspended him and it certainly won't be just for these Olympics," he said.
"The investigation is a first step, we have to start somewhere and find out who's been telling the truth, who has lied, who has done what," Jungwirth said.
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