10 Austrians indicted in doping probe

VIENNA (AP) -Italian prosecutors have indicted ten current and former members of the Austrian Ski Federation following their investigation of a blood-doping scandal at the 2006 Olympics, officials and news reports said Saturday.

During the Turin Games, Italian police raided the Austrian cross-country and biathlon team lodgings and seized a large amount of doping products and equipment.

Markus Gandler, the federation's biathlon sports director, told the Austria Press Agency Saturday that those indicted by Turin prosecutors include himself, former Austria coach Walter Mayer and federation president Peter Schroecksnadel.

Mayer was also implicated in a blood-doping case at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Gandler said the other individuals to be indicted are former cross-country coach Emil Hoch, doctor Peter Baumgartl, former biathletes Wolfgang Perner and Wolfgang Rottmann, and cross-country skiers Martin Tauber, Johannes Eder and Juergen Pinter.

According to Austrian broadcaster ORF, those facing indictments are accused of violating Italy's anti-doping law. It also reported that the trial is set to start in October.

Following the scandal, the International Olympic Committee fined the Austrian Olympic Committee $1 million for failing to prevent the blood-doping violations. The IOC also imposed lifetime bans on four athletes, one of which was reduced to a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"This whole thing is a show trial that seems politically motivated,'' APA quoted Schroecksnadel's lawyer, Manfred Ainedter, as saying.