Retroactive testing finds seven dope cases at Olympics

Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 22:11

THE International Olympic Committee has announced that seven samples taken during the Olympic Games in Beijing had resulted in "adverse analytical findings".

Those findings relate to six separate athletes and were all for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-boosting drug EPO.

The IOC did not name the athletes or sports involved, saying it was currently notifying the athletes in question through their national Olympic committee.

"Due to the presumption of innocence, the IOC will not comment on any individual case," the committee said.

Any necessary disciplinary procedures, including hearings, will be conducted based upon the IOC's anti-doping rules. Pending the decision by the IOC, appropriate steps can be taken by the relevant International Federation, in particular with respect to provisional suspension.

The IOC reanalysed a total of 948 samples from Beijing after new lab tests for CERA and insulin became available after the Olympics.

The testing, which began in January, focused mainly on endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics.

"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," said Arne Ljungqvist, chairman of the IOC medical commission.

"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."

The IOC will wait for word from the national Olympic bodies before holding any disciplinary hearings. Any athletes found guilty of doping face being disqualified from the Olympics and stripped of any medals.

In the meantime, national and international bodies are free to impose provisional suspensions of athletes, the IOC said.

The Italian Olympic Committee said its athlete had been informed along with CONI's anti-doping prosecutor. A Greek race walker, Athanasia Tsoumeleka, announced in January that she had tested positive in the new Beijing checks. Tsoumeleka, who finished ninth in the 20km walk, was charged by a Greek prosecutor earlier this month with using banned drugs.

The IOC has previously disqualified nine athletes for doping at the Olympics in August. 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.