Austrian Olympic Committee says cross country skier Johannes Duerr tests positive for EPO

Johannes Duerr (Wikipedia photo)

KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia – The Austrian Olympic Committee says cross-country skier Johannes Duerr has been suspended after testing positive for EPO.

It is the fifth doping case of the Sochi Games and the first involving the blood-boosting drug.

Duerr finished eighth in the men’s skiathlon on Feb.

9 and was tested seven days later in Austria. He was due to compete in the 50-kilometre mass start cross-country race on Sunday, the final day of the Olympics.

Austria Olympic Committee President Karl Stoss says “we are shocked by this announcement and took the appropriate measures right away.”

Stoss says the athlete has been dropped from the team and sent home.

It is the first serious doping offence reported during the games.

The four other cases involved minor stimulants that can be found in food supplements.