Kazakhstan to boost Olympic hopes with imported horsemeat sausages?

Published Jul 14 2012, 20:34 BST  |  By Paul Martinovic

The Kazakh Olympic team is said to be attempting to import horsemeat sausages into the UK to boost their athletes' chances of success at London 2012.

However, it is unclear whether the sausages will make it into the country, due to strict import controls on meat.

The BBC reports that the Central Asian country is arguing that horsemeat is an indispensable part of the traditional Kazahk diet, and may help athletes' performance.

The Kazahk team is made up primarily of boxers, wrestlers and weightlifters, all sports for which competitors require a protein-rich diet.

Kazahk sports official Elsiyar Kanagatov said that the country's athletes could achieve "outstanding results" if properly fed, adding that the team intended to bring both horsemeat and caviar.

Kazahkstan are fielding 114 athletes at London 2012 in two weeks' time.

The oil-rich country is promising large cash rewards for any athletes that come home with medals, reportedly offering $200,000 (£129,000) for a gold, $150,000 (£96,000) for silver and $75,000 (£48,000) for bronze.