Austrian Ski Federation Cleared of Wrong-doing
An Italian court cleared Austrian Ski Federation President Peter Schroecksnadel and biathlon chief Markus Gandler of involvement in a blood-doping scandal at the Turin Olympics.
"The Austrians have always acted correctly from the start and it is now established in court," Schroecksnadel said in a statement posted on the ski federation website.
"The Ski Federation has always been strongly committed to the fight against doping."
Former cross-country coach Walter May was also acquitted, along with former team doctor Peter Baumgartl and former athletes Martin Tauber and Jurgen Pinter.
Three others team members were suspended and fined during sentencing. Former coach Emil Hoch was suspended for 18 months and fined $32,000, biathlete and 2002 bronze medalist Wolfgang Perner was suspended 18 months and fined $28,000, as well as biathlete and former world champion Wolfgang Rottman was suspended 16 months and fined $25,000.
Perner and Rottman said they will appeal the decision.
The charges against the Ski Federation were brought six years ago after Italian police raided the Austrian Skiing and Biathlon lodgings during the Turin Olympics.
The IOC investigated the matter and had imposed lifetime bans on four athletes. These bans were reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Syrian Expat Group Calls for Olympic Ban
A groupof Syrian expatriates wants the country banned from the Olympics.
The group, called the Syrian Expatriates Organization, said in a statement the move would condemn "the intensification of repression by [the] Assad regime and the barbaric atrocities against Syrian people."
"Although we acknowledge the importance of Olympic Games as a way of unity for all people around the world, however, the calamitous situation in Syria, caused by Assad’s retaliation against our people, and the hideous atrocities committed against Syrians, has impacted every aspect of their life, including the sport activities," Nadim AlSadat, SEO board member said in a statement. "Football stadiums have been converted into large detention areas, others have been demolished under the continuous shelling. Athletes were killed, detained, or tortured."
SEO also called for a moment’s silence at the Games in honor of the 16,000 "martyrs" who have died in the uprising against Bashar al-Assad. The uprising began in 2011.
Rio Olympic Park Construction
Construction is underway on the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Park.
Work started at 3:00 PM in Rio on Friday.
At the cornerstone laying ceremony were many of the top Olympic officials for Rio 2016, including organizing committee president Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Rio mayor Eduardo Paes and others.
Written by Ed Hula III.
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