Former Austrian nordic coach arrested under doping accusations

According to a story published by the AFP, former Austrian nordic skiing coach Walter Mayer has been arrested in connection with doping allegations, Vienna prosecutors said today. Mayer was also involved in a doping scandal at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.

Mayer was arrested Sunday at the home of his partner, marathon runner Eva-Maria Grandwohl in southern Austria, and is accused of providing an elite Austrian cyclist with EPO, a banned blood boosting drug.

“He is suspected of providing doping substances that came from a pharmacist to third parties over a long period of time,” prosecution spokesman Gerhard Jarosch told the Kurier newspaper.

The 32-year-old cyclist was also arrested March 13 for trafficking. His identity remains a secret, but the Austrian Press Agency revealed his last name begins with the letter ‘K.’ The cyclist’s arrest was the first ever of an Austrian athlete for doping allegations.

Prosecutors said that the Vienna pharmacist who is suspected of providing the drugs was also arrested this weekend.

Austrian athletics have been under fire recently for having lose doping policies following Tour de France cyclist Bernhard Kohl’s admission of using Cera, a new form of EPO, this October.

Mayer’s first run-in with doping accusations, at the 2006 Winter Games, led to IOC life bans for biathletes Wolfgang Perner and Wolfgang Rottmann and cross country skiers Johannes Eder, Jurgen Pinter and Martin Tauber, when a police raid uncovered drug paraphernalia and performance enhancing drugs.

Information for this story was provided by the AFP.

According to a story published by the AFP, former Austrian nordic skiing coach Walter Mayer has been arrested in connection with doping allegations, Vienna prosecutors said today. Mayer was also involved in a doping scandal at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.

Mayer was arrested Sunday at the home of his partner, marathon runner Eva-Maria Grandwohl in southern Austria, and is accused of providing an elite Austrian cyclist with EPO, a banned blood boosting drug.

“He is suspected of providing doping substances that came from a pharmacist to third parties over a long period of time,” prosecution spokesman Gerhard Jarosch told the Kurier newspaper.

The 32-year-old cyclist was also arrested March 13 for trafficking. His identity remains a secret, but the Austrian Press Agency revealed his last name begins with the letter ‘K.’ The cyclist’s arrest was the first ever of an Austrian athlete for doping allegations.

Prosecutors said that the Vienna pharmacist who is suspected of providing the drugs was also arrested this weekend.

Austrian athletics have been under fire recently for having lose doping policies following Tour de France cyclist Bernhard Kohl’s admission of using Cera, a new form of EPO, this October.

Mayer’s first run-in with doping accusations, at the 2006 Winter Games, led to IOC life bans for biathletes Wolfgang Perner and Wolfgang Rottmann and cross country skiers Johannes Eder, Jurgen Pinter and Martin Tauber, when a police raid uncovered drug paraphernalia and performance enhancing drugs.

Information for this story was provided by the AFP.