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The Austrian Olympic Committee has lifted sanctions on seven members of the country's biathlon team who were suspended after a doping scandal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

The lifting of the sanctions means the officials will be able to participate at next year's Winter Games in Vancouver.

Five others members of the squad had their suspensions ended at the end of July.

The OOC has also decided to no longer provide Olympic accreditation for 13 officials from the biathlon and cross-country skiing teams.

Former cross-country skiing coach Emil Hoch is the only member of the Austrian entourage who remains suspended.

His life ban, which was reduced to 15 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is scheduled to expire in 2022.

In February 2006, Italian police found blood transfusion equipment and medication in the chalet near Turin being used by the Austrian biathlon and cross-country skiing teams for the Winter Olympics.

Five Austrian athletes were suspended for life from Olympic competition.

The investigation into the case is not yet over, with 10 people including Austrian skiing federation president Peter Schroecksnadel set to appear in court in Italy this autumn charged with violating anti-doping regulations.

AFP