IOC to Investigate Austrians

With police awaiting lab test results on evidence seized in the weekend raid of the Austrian biathlon and cross-country ski quarters, International Olympic Committee officials said Tuesday they would launch their own inquiry into possible doping violations by Austrian skiers, coaches and officials.

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said the organization would act “in due course” after Italian officials assess lab results of the materials seized from Austrian chalets in the mountains outside Turin -- 30 packages of antidepressants, asthma medication and 100 syringes.

The action marked the first police search of Olympic athletes at Games time. Italian law calls for criminal sanctions in doping matters. The presence of used syringes does not by itself indicate misconduct. Some Austrian training regimens include the drawing of blood as a matter of routine -- to test for a variety of levels Austrian officials deem key to performance.

Ten Austrian Nordic athletes were hauled off Saturday night for surprise IOC-administered doping tests. The IOC is awaiting the results.

The IOC intends to conduct about 1,200 doping tests at the 2006 Games, an increase of about 72% from the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, in all 838 urine tests (up from 700 in 2002) and 362 blood tests (new since 2002).

Through Monday, the IOC had run 674 tests. So far, only one athlete has tested positive -- Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva, for the stimulant carphedon.