Kazakhstan says 4-time Olympian arrested in doping raids

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AP) — The Kazakhstan Olympic Committee says four-time Olympian Alexei Poltoranin is among five skiers arrested in Austrian police raids targeting an alleged doping network.

Poltoranin, who has won two world championship medals, was a non-starter at the world championship 15-kilometer race after Wednesday’s raids.

Samal Nauryzova, a spokeswoman for the Kazakh cross-country ski federation, says “we will defend our athlete” adding the federation is waiting to see proof.

Austrian ski federation official Markus Gandler told ORF television that Max Hauke and Dominik Baldauf were arrested, the Austria Press Agency reported. Hauke and Baldauf work for the Austrian police, according to an Interior Ministry press release Monday congratulating them on sixth place in the world championship team sprint.