Vienna: The Austrian Olympic Committee lifted a ban today on 12 biathlon and cross-country skiing officials allegedly involved in a doping scandal at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.
The committee cancelled the suspension of five officials in July and dropped charges against the remaining seven today, the AOC said in a statement.
The group, which includes the ski federation's biathlon director Markus Gandler, biathlon coach Alfred Eder and cross-country coach Gerald Heigl, was excluded from future Olympics but will now be allowed to travel to next year's games in Vancouver.
The AOC said the officials were deemed "rehabilitated" based on new national anti-doping laws and the report of a state prosecution task force on doping.
The AOC followed a decision by world skiing governing body FIS, which had dropped doping charges against Gandler, Eder and Heigl in February last year.
Gandler said he was "very happy" about the AOC's decision.
"This brings peace to our team and makes things a lot easier," the biathlon director said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, September 08, 2009, 21:21