A German doctor accused of being the mastermind of an international blood-doping network that was dismantled last year went on trial in Munich on Wednesday. Sports physician Mark Schmidt, 42, and four co-defendants who allegedly aided him, are accused of helping at least two dozen athletes undergo blood transfusions to boost performance illicitly from “the end of 2011 at the latest”, according to state prosecutors.
“We accuse this sports doctor and his helpers of using doping substances on a commercial basis and in gangs,” senior prosecutor Anne Leiding told Munich’s regional court.
If found guilty, Schmidt and his co-defendants could be … More