CHINA: OLYMPIC GAMES: The IOC bans six Austrian winter Olympians for life

Olympic chiefs hammered out a no-nonsense message to drug cheats on Wednesday (April 25), banning for life six Austrian Winter Olympians for possession of doping equipment and collaboration. "The executive board of the IOC today unanimously approved the recommendation made by the Disciplinary Commission to declare six of these Austrian athletes permanently ineligible in any capacity for all future games," the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) disciplinary commission chief Thomas Bach told reporters on the sidelines of a sports conference in Beijing. The six, two biathletes and four cross-country skiers from the 2006 Turin Olympics, were given the career-ending penalties after a raid by Italian police uncovered blood-transfusion equipment at the Games last year. "This is a case where, for the first time, it is not about a positive or missed test. It is about possession. It is about the complicity. And by this decision I think the IOC shows a clear determination to fight against doping with zero tolerance, and to fight against doping also with the cooperation of the government," said Bach. Bach said the bans would have no bearing on the Austrian city of Salzburg's bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. Wolfgang Perner, Roland Diethart, Johannes Eder, Juergen Pinter, Martin Tauber and Wolfgang Rottman were banned after a tip-off from the IOC led Italian authorities to raid a private house in which athletes were living during the Olympics. IOC president Jacque Rogge defended the organisation's cooperation with authorities, using the Operation Puerto investigation into a cycling doping ring as an example. "I believe that the sport movement needs from time to time the help of judicial authorities. You have the Puerto case in Spain still not yet finalised in terms of sanctions of athletes. But there again noone could ever have discovered with Puerto in Spain if there had not been tapping of telephones, surveillance and ultimately a search. We need that from time to time," said Rogge. The investigation started with raids in Madrid and Zaragoza last May when police found large quantities of anabolic steroids, laboratory equipment used for blood transfusions and more than 200 bags of blood. Rogge also announced plans for the equivalent of an Olympic Games for teenagers. The Youth Olympic Games are set to start Summer of 2010. "There would be of course a total Olympic environment. We would go for an Olympic village where all the athletes would be accomodated. We would also have the entire protocol of the Olympic games - with the flame, with the torch, with the oath - so it would be a preparation for the athletes for the future Olympic games, but with an educational part that is different to what normally is organised," said Rogge. Rogge said the Youth Summer Games would be designed to accomodate about 3000 athletes, and the Youth Winter Games about 1000. The programme would target teenagers from 14 to 18 years old. IOC officials are in Beijing to participate in the 5th annual SportAccord convention - hosted this year by China's capital city.

ITN Source | April 26, 2007

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