VIENNA (AP) Austrian anti-doping authorities say cross-country skier Harald Wurm has been banned for four years for blood doping.
The Austrian Anti-Doping Legal Committee says it has suspended the athlete for taking the banned substance cobalt and using several prohibited methods for blood enrichment which boosts endurance.
The committee says Wurm has not appealed the decision. The ban dates back to the start of Wurm's provisional suspension three months ago and ends Dec. 12, 2019.
The two-time Olympian had already been excluded from all team training and competitions by the Austrian ski federation since November, three months after state prosecutors started an investigation into his alleged doping infringements.
Prosecutors have meanwhile dropped criminal charges against him after Wurm confessed to doping and settled an agreement with a regional court.
