Walter Mayer, the coach at the centre of a doping controversy, was under surveillance for nearly a month before Italian police raided the house he was sharing with members of Austria's biathlon and cross country teams at the Winter Olympics, it has emerged.
The International Ski Federation tipped off the authorities after they tested a group of Austrian competitors staying at Mayer's house in Ramsau.
During the testing they noticed blood transfusion equipment, and Mayer was tailed for the next month before he arrived at the Olympics. The Italian police then raided the house where the team were staying, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) conducted drug tests on 10 skiers.
The police raids allegedly found a blood transfusion machine and syringes, including some at Mayer's residence. Heinz Jungwirth, the Austrian Olympic committee's secretary general, is concerned that the negative publicity could see the team banned from future games.
"People are thinking about punishing us, even about banning us. We want to avoid that," he said. "The damage of a ban would be impossible to make good again. There's a storm brewing at the IOC. Whether the doping tests are positive or negative doesn't matter."
Guardian Service
Favourite Daniela Meuli completed a Swiss hat-trick of snowboard gold medals with victory in the women's parallel giant-slalom at Bardonecchia.
The reigning world champion stormed to victory to add to Tanja Frieden's success in the snowboard cross and Philipp Schoch's win in the men's parallel giant-slalom on Wednesday.
Germany's Amelie Kober took a surprise silver medal ahead of American Rosey Fletcher, who beat Doris Guenther of Austria in the bronze medal race-off.
