Police arrest 9 people during Nordic Skiing World Championships


9 People have been arrested in doping raids in Austria and Germany during the Nordic Skiing World Championships.

Among those detained were five elite skiers and a doctor when Austrian and German police carried out a series of raids that were part of a wider police operation targeting criminals from several European countries. WADA’s Intelligence and Investigations Department had been cooperating with the authorities during the course of the operation.

Austrian Federal Police said one athlete was “caught in the act…He was picked up with a blood transfusion in his arm.” The investigation began after a documentary, “Doping Top Secret: Confession, Inside the mind of a doper”, was released in which Austrian skier Johannes Dürr confessed he often had his blood manipulated in Germany.

The police confirmed the investigation was formed around a “German based criminal organisation, that is strongly suspected of having been doping top athletes for years to increase their performance in domestic and international competitions, thereby gaining illegal revenues.”

It is not the first time the sport has come across a doping scandal. During the 2006 Turin Games, six Austrian athletes were banned from the Olympics for life after being found with banned substances.

You may also like

View All

The Open to employ Spidercam on 18th green at Portrush

For the first time in golf history, The Open will utilise Spidercam technology, and it will be used on the 18th green at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland

Read More

ECHR declares Semenya was violated by Swiss Supreme Court

Europe’s top court, the European Court of Human Rights, has declared that DSD athlete and double 800m Olympic champion Caster Semenya was not given the right to a fair hearing by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in 2020 after World Athletics barred her from competing

Read More

Table Tennis England Transgender Policy consultation open

Table Tennis England has devised a Transgender Policy and is seeking feedback via a consultation period which is open until 20 July 2025

Read More

Newsletter Signup

Please enter your email address below: