Former Olympic medalist jailed over kidnap plot

An Austrian court sentenced former Olympic figure skating gold medalist Wolfgang Schwarz to eight years in prison today for plotting to kidnap the teenage daughter of a prominent Romanian businessman and hold her for up to €3m in ransom.

Schwarz, 59, made a surprise confession to the charges earlier today, and a prosecutor said Schwarz was motivated by “greed and selfishness” last October in plotting the abduction and hiring someone to commit the crime, which was never carried out.