The Buzz | Vanessa-Mae banned over fixed Olympic qualifiers

Pop violinist Vanessa-Mae was banned from competitive skiing for four years yesterday for taking part in races that were fixed to allow her to qualify for the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
The findings by the International Ski Federation exposed as a sham what many fans thought was a feel-good celebrity Olympic story.
FIS also banned five officials from Slovenia and Italy for between one and two years for their role in the scandal.
“Those who have been sanctioned have been sanctioned for good reason,” FIS President Gian Franco Kasper told The Associated Press. “At first we were laughing when we heard it. But then we realized it’s quite a serious thing.”