No Britons among drug test failures, say Team GB

Published on Wednesday 29 April 2009 01:24

BRITISH Olympic chiefs believe that no members of Team GB are among the six athletes who have tested positive for a new blood-boosting hormone following fresh tests of samples from the Beijing Games.

The International Olympic Committee has announced that seven samples, relating to six athletes, taken in Beijing had tested positive for CERA, a new version of blood agent EPO.

The British Olympic Association has not been contacted by the IOC and is assuming none of those involved are British – the athletes in question have been notified through their national Olympic committees.

The Italian Olympic committee has confirmed that one of those involved is Italian. The Italian news agency Ansa identified him as cyclist Davide Rebellin, silver medallist in the road race.

The other positive tests are reported to have come from three track and field athletes, a cyclist and a weightlifter. The positive tests show that the IOC's decision to re-test 948 samples after a new test for CERA became available, has paid off.

Samples given by endurance athletes competing in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics were mainly targeted.

Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC medical commission, said: "The further analysis of the Beijing samples that we conducted should send a clear message that cheats can never assume that they have avoided detection.

"The vast majority of athletes do not seek an unfair advantage. We intend to do all we can to ensure that they have a fair environment for competition."

Any athlete found guilty of taking CERA faces being banned and stripped of any medals.

Greece's 2004 Olympic 20 kilometre walking champion, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, admitted earlier this year that she had tested positive under the new checks for a sample given two days before the start of the Beijing Games.

Nine athletes were banned for doping at the Games. In addition, there were six doping cases involving horses in the equestrian competition.

The IOC is storing doping samples for eight years so they can be tested retroactively when new detection methods are developed.

The World Anti-Doping Agency welcomed the IOC findings.

Under the WADA code, athletes can be disciplined up to eight years from the date of a doping violation. "We suggest that athletes who may be tempted to cheat keep this reality in mind," WADA president John Fahey said. "Retrospective testing serves as a strong deterrent."