September 09, 2011 (Vienna, Austria) – The doping scandal around Walter Mayer, former head coach of the Austrian cross-country and biathlon teams, continues to gain momentum. Its increasing orbit has now involved former Russian skier Mikhail Botvinov, who changed his nationality to join the Austrian squad, reports Russian news site itar-tass.com. Botvinov won two Olympic medals for Austria.

Botvinov’s achievements came under Mayer, who was accused of using prohibited methods of processing blood in the recent trial. However, the investigation in the case against Mayer involved testimony from Botvinov, who said he had never crossed the threshold of the Vienna Laboratory “Humanplazma,” where the the illegal blood processing was said to have taken place.

Prosecutors believe the opposite, however, and are ready to take Botvinov to court, including evidence based on the testimony of a former nurse who worked in the laboratory until 2008.

Full article HERE (translated from original Russian).