The true scale of athletics' alleged doping cover-up "can be laid bare following detailed analysis of the list of competitors with 'suspicious' blood values that has sent shockwaves through the sport," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. The list was revealed on Tuesday to "include the name of one of Britain's biggest athletics stars." Further analysis of the documents shows that "many more of the best-known names
in the sport provided suspicious blood samples which may not have been acted
upon," with the list including: 225 athletes from 39 countries; three
Britons, as well as a "staggering" 58 Russians and 25 Kenyans; three London
2012 champions and "scores" of Gold Medalists from other Olympics and major
championships, current and former world record holders, and winners of
marathons around the world; competitors over distances from 400m upward on track, road and cross-country, as well as multi-event athletes;
and several athletes banned for doping. The IAAF's ethics commission is "investigating the claims made in Monday’s documentary." The organization has "also not
disputed the authenticity of the list WDR said it had obtained from a
whistle-blower described as a long-standing member of the governing body's
medical and anti-doping commission." That whistle-blower claimed that "the abnormal blood values, not thought to be
enough themselves to prove doping, should have been followed up with
target-testing of the athletes in question." WDR's whistle-blower focused on readings taken between '06 and '08 "but the
full documents show some were obtained" as early as '01. All were taken "before the introduction of the biological passport, which
monitors longitudinal blood values." It is "unlikely readings obtained before
then could trigger an investigation into any athlete retrospectively unless
used in conjunction with retested frozen samples, which are stored for up to
eight years." The World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Tuesday that it would "conduct its
own probe into the claims." WADA President Craig Reedie said, "WADA must ensure that all athletes who have cheated, either at national or international level, are dealt with in an appropriate fashion under the World Anti-Doping Code." The IAAF issued a "lengthy statement" on Tuesday afternoon addressing the
accusations made in Monday's WDR documentary. The statement warned that pre-biological passport blood values did not have "the same level of reliability and strength as the post-2009 values, which
were collected under strict and stringent conditions." It also said that the IAAF had used the pre-'09 data to "identify countries at
a high risk of doping and adjust its control programme accordingly" (TELEGRAPH, 12/10).
