A top Austrian athletics official wants the national anti-doping agency to open proceedings against former Olympic silver medalist Stephanie Graf, who retired in 2004.
Secretary general Helmut Baudis of the Austrian Athletics Federation said today that NADA should investigate whether Graf violated blood-doping rules during her career.
“NADA chief Andreas Schwab has repeatedly said that in case of doubt, there will be an investigation,” Baudis said. “So I think a proceeding against Miss Graf should be started now.”
Graf, who finished runner-up in the 800 meters at the 2000 Sydney Games, admitted in a recent newspaper interview that she had blood taken at the controversial Humanplasma lab in Vienna in 2003.
However, Graf denies the blood was ever reinjected, which would have been illegal under international anti-doping rules. This month, Humanplasma revealed that its facility had been used by several coaches to help about 30 athletes with blood doping from 2003 to 2006.
In cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency, NADA is examining whether these blood transfusions violated anti-doping regulations at that time.
NADA will not open proceedings against Graf before the examination has been completed, Schwab said.
“Was there an attempt? When was the attempt? And was this attempt illegal at that time? These are the questions that have to be answered,” Schwab said.
Graf, now 36, also won the European indoor 800 championship in 2000. She won three more silver medals at world championships before ending her career shortly before the 2004 Athens Games.
