AWOL duo risk ban
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ByEurosport
Published 20/02/2006 at 08:55 GMT
AWOL Austrian athletes Wolfgang Perner and Wolfgang Rottmann have contacted team officials, the country's ski federation has said. The two biathletes left the team base on Sunday without permission, and could now face being banned from the next two Olympi
BIATHLON 2006 Torino 2006 Sprint Men Austria Perner
Image credit: Imago
"Officially, they could have left on Sunday anyway. But they just went off and we don't know why, and that's not acceptable," Peter Schroecksnadel, president of the Austrian Ski Federation, said.
The duo's departure came just a day after Italian police raided the Austrian team hotel following banned coach Walter Mayer's visit to athletes.
"Maybe they were scared of the police, we don't know," said Schroecksnadel. "They got in touch and we're going to talk about it."
Perner - fourth in the Sprint in Turin - and 2000 Individual world champion Rottmann will be given the opportunity to explain their actions before any action is taken.
But the Austrian Olympic Committee's secretary-general Heinz Jungwirth said on Monday the pair could be slapped with a ban from the next two Olympics.
"Our board is going to meet next week and we will certainly discuss disciplinary measures," he said.
"One disciplinary measure would be to say they will not be taken to the next Games even if they qualify ... if they suddenly leave like that they don't seem to be very interested in taking part."
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