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Ski star mistaken for ski thief

Retired Swiss ski star Paul Accola has been mistaken for a thief who stole a pair of expensive race skis while walking through an Austrian resort.

Austrian media on Friday reported three police officers arrested a man in Ischl, without knowing he was the 1992 overall World Cup champion, after they saw him carrying the skis but not wearing ski boots.

Accola, who was not carrying any ID, was taken to a police station where he was cleared of all charges as soon as another policeman recognised him.

Accola, who won seven World Cup races and a bronze medal at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, was in Ischl for a charity skiing event.

According to the police, ski theft is a major problem in the resort.

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR