The Austrian Olympic Committee (AOC) was given a fine of $1 million by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) six weeks before the IOC announces the host city for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games on July 4. Salzburg Austria is competing for the Games against PyeongChang Korea and Sochi Russia.
The fine was in connection with the doping scandal at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games, reports the Associated Press.
The IOC said its executive board had unanimously decided on the fine, which will be imposed by withholding from the AOC its share of IOC revenues up to that amount.
The AOC also has a year to complete its investigation into the role played by the national Olympic body, team coaches, doctors and officials in the doping case which involved four cross-country skiers and two biathletes, who were issued lifetime Olympic bans last month.
The AOC must report on its investigation by June 30, 2008 when the IOC said it should demonstrate “the internal organizational changes that have been implemented”, but did not elaborate on what changes it expected to be carried out, reports AP.
The IOC said it will refer the case file to the International Ski Federation and the International Biathlon Union so that the organizations can decide whether to take separate action against the Austrian Ski Federation.
Austrian Olympic Committee president Leo Wallner accused the Austrian Ski Federation Thursday of a “serious failure”. He said the scandal potentially could have knocked Austrian athletes out of at least the 2008 Summer Games and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The federation “compromised the Olympic spirit”, he said, and the AOC will take disciplinary measures against the ski federation for putting “an entire generation of athletes” at risk.
Wallner said one measure could be to require all federation athletes and officials to swear to uphold the values and ethics of the Olympic movement.
He added officials who were in charge of Austria’s cross country ski and biathlon teams could also be banned for life from the Olympics and the ski federation could wind up having to pay the fine imposed Thursday. Those and other measures would be decided at a meeting on May 29, said Wallner.
As for Salzburg’s bid for the 2014 Winter Games, Heinz Jungwirth, secretary-general of the AOC, said he didn’t see a link between the IOC’s decision and Salzburg’s prospects. He said, “if one is serious about finding the best possible place for hosting the Winter Games then the events that took place in (Italy) shouldn’t play a role. How often have there been doping issues in Russia and they’re not mentioned in connection with the Sochi bid”.
Gernot Leitner, one of the executive directors for Salzburg 2014, said it’s good that the issues are now out in the open. “Now there can be a reaction in Austria”, he told the Austria Press Agency, noting that IOC president Jacques Rogge has repeatedly dismissed speculation that the doping case could harm Salzburg’s prospects. Leitner said, “we can’t hide our head in the sand now. We’ll do our job and want to win in six weeks”.
Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer released a statement saying “Salzburg’s Olympic bid still has a chance”, while expressing his full backing for AOC president Leo Wallner.
Salzburg Mayor Heinz Schaden acknowledged the doping scandal was not “helpful” for Salzburg’s bid. He said, “the IOC is losing its patience”, adding “the bid is not dead”.
Jungwirth said Wednesday the committee would convene a board meeting next Tuesday at which members would vote on whether to remove Austrian ski federation head Peter Schroecksnadel of his duties as AOC vice president unless he resigns before the meeting.
