Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Hüttau, Salzburg, Austria
About Walter Mayer
- Walter Mayer (born March 17, 1957) is an Austrian Cross-country skier and coach.
- He won the Vasaloppet in 1980, and finished second in 1992.
- As a coach, he was banned from the 2006 and 2010 Olympics after blood transfusion equipment was found in a house used by Austrian skiers during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- Mayer was accused of blood doping violations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced the ban after a three-month investigation. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Mayer—who had been spotted with the Austrian team despite his suspension—fled back to Austria after a surprise overnight raid on the quarters of the Austrian skiers by Italian police.
- He crashed his vehicle into a police roadblock, and was immediately relieved of his coaching duties by the Austrian Ski Federation.
- Police found syringes and a blood transfusion machine in the home where Mayer had been staying.
- Claiming that he was suicidal, Mayer entered a psychiatric hospital in Austria.
- In an interview with NEWS, an Austrian magazine, Mayer said he was trying to kill himself when he drove into the police roadblock.
- He pleaded guilty to charges of civil disorder, assault, and damage to property. In March 2006, Mayer filed defamation lawsuits against Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC.
- He withdrew both suits in February 2007.
- The IOC held hearings in April 2007 on allegations of doping by Austrian skiers at the 2006 games.
- On April 25 the hearings closed, resulting in the lifetime suspensions of six Austrian skiers.
- Banned as a result of the hearings were biathletes Wolfgang Perner and Wolfgang Rottmann as well as cross country skiers Martin Tauber, Jürgen Pinter, Johannes Eder and Roland Diethart.
- While the six will be unable to compete in any capacity at any future Olympic event, the ban does not affect non-Olympic sporting events. Mayer was arrested in Austria in March 2009 on suspicion of selling doping substances.
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