Reporting Sports in a refreshing style

Five athletes arrested in doping raids

Austrian police on Wednesday said nine people, including five athletes from hosts Austria, Estonia and Kazakhstan, have been arrested in a doping-related German-Austrian probe around the Nordic skiing world championships.

A statement from Austria’s federal police dealing with organised crime said that “an internationally operating doping network has been broken up” in 17 raids in Austria and Germany.

The months-long investigation, named Operation Bloodletting – into sports fraud and the use of illegal substances and methods centred on a criminal organisation around a sports doctor identified only as Mark S, operating out of the eastern German city of Erfurt.

“The criminal group is suspected to have conducted blood doping on high-performance athletes for years with the aim to enhance their performance at national and international competitions.

“Their aim also is to generate illegal income through it,’’ the statement said.

Read Also: Athletics body suspends Nigeria-born athlete for doping

Report says doping practices are a criminal offence in Germany and Austria.

The doctor and an accomplice were arrested in Erfurt and the seven others at the Nordic worlds in Seefeld.

While two members of the criminal organisations and the five athletes, two from Austria, two Estonians and one from Kazakhstan were also arrested.

However, no names were given, with police only saying the two Austrians were part of the cross-country ski team at the Seefeld championships.

“Investigations were ongoing,’’ the statement said, while news conference was scheduled for later in Innsbruck.

Meanwhile, Austrian Max Hauke, two-time world championship bronze medallist Alexey Poltoranin of Kazakhstan did not take part in the 15-kilometre cross-country race at the Nordic skiing world championships.

Also, Karel Tammjarv and Andreas Veerpalu of Estonia did not take part in the cross-country race, although the trios were on the start list.

Veerpalu is the son of two-time world and Olympic champion Andrus Veerpalu who was banned for doping in 2011 however later had his sanction cancelled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

You might also like

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.