February 15: Olympics: Austrian Bobsleigh participant sent home because of Doping

Received from NTB at 13:53 (GMT-1).

Lillehammer (NTB): The first case of doping has shaken the winter 
olympic games. The bobsleigh driver Gerhard Rainer of Austria has
been sent home because of positive results in a doping test. The
test was taken and analyzed in Austria.

- Rainer was caught in a routine test during preparations for the
Olympics. He was sent home last saturday (the opening day of the
olympics), when we received the test results, says Roland Jokl,
head of the Austrian olympic team.

When the results of the A-test were presented, Rainer waived his 
right to having the B-test analyzed. He is said to have admitted 
using steroids to recover after an injury to the Achilles tendon.

At the request of the Austrian bobsleigh association, the national
olympic committe waited until monday evening to publish that Rainer
had tested positive twice.

- Not an IOC-matter

- We hope that this episode will have no negative effects on the 
rest of the team says Jokl.

- This was one of the reasons why we sent Rainer home ASAP.

In the International Olympic Committe (IOC) the case is considered
an Austrian affair.

- He was not caught in an IOC-test. This means there has been no 
doping-case during the Lillehammer Olympics, says Michele Verdier,
spokeswoman for IOC.

Works for the police

Rainer was to have participated in a two-man bob with Hubert 
Schlösser. He has been replaced by Markus Einberger. During the 
Albertville Olympics Rainer was seated in the Austrian Four-man 
bob that ended up 8th. In the World Championships last year he came
in 6th.

He is from Innsbruck and works for the police. He will be 
automatically excluded from bobsleigh competitions for two years.

, Oslonett AS. and Norsk Telegrambyrå.