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Monday, 20 February 2006 |
Austrian biathlon coach Walter Mayer in Olympic doping scandal crashes car
Walter Mayer, the Austrian biathlon coach at the centre of an Olympic
doping scandal, is in even more serious trouble and has been charged
with civil disorder after he crashed his car into a police roadblock.
The incident occurred on Sunday when police had awoken Walter Mayer
while he was sleeping in his car in the Austrian village of Paternion.
Walter Mayer had fled from Turin after Italian police had been informed that he was with the Austrian team.
Walter Mayer was banned from the 2006 and 2010 Games for drugs offences at the 2002 event in Salt Lake City.
A tip-off from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) prompted police in
Italy to raid the Austrian biathlon and cross country team's lodgings
on Saturday, and equipment, which could be used for blood doping was
found.
Italian magistrates put Walter Mayer under investigation but they didn't issue a warrant for his arrest.
The Austrian charge of civil disorder is only to do with Walter Mayer's
car crash, but the Klagenfurt state prosecutor has said further charges
of assault and criminal damage would be following.
At the time of the incident Walter Mayer had sped off and was pursued
by police before he crashed into two unoccupied police vehicles and
damaged the cars and slightly injured a policeman in the process.
Walter Mayer was immediately taken into police custody. The disgraced
coach refused a breath test but was released out of the back door to
avoid the press.
Austrian Olympic chiefs sacked Walter Mayer as soon as they got news of his arrest.
Walter Mayer also made a brief stop on Monday at a psychiatric clinic
in Klagenfurt, but it hasn't been confirmed whether he went there of
his own accord or on police orders, and authorities couldn't confirm
reports that he escaped through a window either.
The Austrians also said that two of the 10 competitors tested following
the police raid had been booted out of the team and could be suspended
from the next Games as well. This happened after Wolfgang Perner and
Wolfgang Rottman returned to Austria without permission after their
events.
Wolfgang Perner told an Austrian news agency that he fled because he feared he would go to gaol in Italy.
"For me, it's over," Wolfgang Perner, who had won a bronze in the last
Olympics, said. "I don't need to do biathlon ever again," he added.
The results of the Italian blood tests on the Austrians are
still pending, however, Austrian cross country skier Juergen Pinter
said in regard to the matter: "There's definitely no doping in the
Austrian team. It's crazy."
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Last Updated ( Friday, 24 February 2006 )
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