ITALY: Italian government's Olympic official comments on Austrian raid, says the target is a different person, not the athletes.

Record ID: 331763

  • Title: ITALY: Italian government's Olympic official comments on Austrian raid, says the target is a different person, not the athletes.
  • Date: 18th February 2006
  • Summary: TURIN, ITALY (FEBRUARY 19, 2006) (REUTERS - NO ACCESS WIRELESS) ITALIAN OLYMPIC OFFICIAL, MARIO PESCANTE, SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS. SOUNDBITE (English) PESCANTE SAYING "This is a good example for the future. we are not in opposition - the governmental authorities and the IOC. It's very important because the IOC wrote a letter and we intervene following the rest of the IOC. (PESCANTE, ASKED WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF AN ATHLETE, LIKE THE RUSSIAN (PYLEVA) LEAVES THE COUNTRY, WILL THEY BE EXTRADITED, SAYS) "No. no problem the athlete is completely free. Our aim - our target is a different person not the athlete. (JOURNALIST ASKS - NOT THE ATHLETE?) PESCANTE SAYS: "Different person. You know - not the athlete. You know - the name is very well known" (JOURNALIST ASKS IF THE POLICE ARE HOLDING MR MAYER, INSIDE THE VILLAGE) PESCANTE SAYS "No, no we don't have intervention inside the village. The Olympic village? No - in this case (we) deal with residents outside the village" QUESTION: Did the police find Mr Mayer? PESCANTE SAYS: "The police, we intervene because the IOC stress that, in any case, please wait for the press conference".
  • Embargoed: 5th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEYVYQCE1OWIG61VC8FU2DKTQH
  • Story Text: Mario Pescante, Italy's top Olympic official and member of the IOC, said on Sunday (February 19) said that the banned Austrian coach, Walter Mayer, had not been arrested during raids on Austrian athletes overnight. He added that the Italian government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had cooperated in raids on the Austrian biathletes and cross country skiers' accomodation.
    "This is a good example for the future. we are not in opposition - the governmental authorities and the IOC. It's very important because the IOC wrote a letter and we intervene following the rest of the IOC," he said at a news conference in Turin.
    The IOC said overnight that the raids came about after Walter Mayer was seen at the Games. But he came to the Games as a private spectator and spoke to athletes, according to the Austrian team.
    As coach, Mayer took Austria's cross-country team to their first ever Olympic medals in Nordic skiing at the 1998 Games. He added gold in the relay at the 1999 world championships and two more medals in the Salt Lake Games.
    He was banned for life by the International Ski Federation after the discovery of blood transfusion equipment in a chalet at Salt Lake but said the equipment was a therapeutic remedy and not performance enhancing.
    Mayer remains barred from all Olympics up to the 2010 Games in Vancouver but his FIS ban was cut to 10 years in 2005.
    Police and International Olympic Committee doping officials swooped on two Austrian biathlon and cross country bases on Saturday night and subjected all 15 members of the teams to doping tests.
    Pescante was asked what would happen if the athletes concerned left the country. Was there the possibility of extraditing them? He answered: "No. no problem the athlete is completely free. Our aim - our target is a different person not the athlete".
    He said the target of the inquiry was not an athlete. "Different person. You know - not the athlete. You know - the name is very well known," he said.
    He was asked if the police were holding Mr Mayer, was he found in the village? Pescante immediately spoke about the jurisdiction of the police: " "No, no we don't have intervention inside the village. The Olympic village? No - in this case (we) deal with residents outside the village"
    Asked if the police had found Mr Mayer, Pescante said: "The police, we intervene because the IOC stress that, in any case, please wait for the press conference".
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