Sporting prosecutors on Friday
requested that an Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) tribunal ban
former ice-skating world champion Carolina Kostner for four
years, three months.
Kostner is accused of helping her former boyfriend, 2008
50km walk Olympic champion Alex Schwazer, break anti-doping
violations.
The 27-year-old, who won gold at the 2012 figure-skating
world championship and bronze at this year's Winter Olympics in
Sochi, is also charged with failing to report doping offences to
the authorities.
Schwazer has been banned from competition until January
2016 after testing positive for the illegal blood-booster EPO
just before the London Olympics.
CONI prosecutors opened a case against Kostner after media
reports that she confessed to criminal prosecutors that she
helped Schwazer dodge a surprise doping test in July 2012.
She also reportedly told prosecutors that on occasions
Schwazer slept all night in a facemask attached to a mysterious
white machine and that she had to use earplugs to block out the
noise.
Prosecutors reportedly suspect that Schwazer used
illegal techniques to alter oxygen intake levels, including
prior to his 2008 Olympic victory.
Doping is a criminal offence in Italy and Bolzano
prosecutors investigating the case have uncovered an alleged
network of people who were allegedly complicit in Schwazer's
illegal drug use.
Two doctors and an official from the Italian athletics
federation are being probed by the criminal prosecutors, along
with Schwazer himself.
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