LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- The International Olympic Committee opened an investigation into whether blood transfusion equipment was used to enhance the performance of cross-country skiers in the Winter Olympics.
The suspicious equipment was found by a housekeeper Wednesday in a house used by the Austrian team for the Salt Lake City Games.
"Conducting blood transfusions to enhance performance is not only unethical and prohibited by the Olympic movement anti-doping code, but is also extremely dangerous to the health of the athlete," the IOC said Thursday.
IOC president Jacques Rogge has ordered that "all scientific techniques" be used in the investigation, "including DNA testing."
The IOC said the owner of the house was injured by the material when she was handling it.
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