The Associated Press reports Austrian Olympic officials say the county won’t be awarded the rights to the Olympic Games “for a long time” because of the financial scandal that has hit the national movement.
Sports Minister Norbert Darabos said Sunday in an interview on public broadcaster ORF that Austria “can forget about Olympic bids for a long time now”.
Prosecutors are investigating cash transactions tied to Salzburg’s failed bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games which Sochi was awarded.
Because of the investigation, committee general secretary Heinz Jungwirth stepped down in February, and Austria’s Olympic Committee’s president Leo Wallner resigned earlier this month.
Austria hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Games in Innsbruck, host city of next year’s inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games.
