Up to 31 athletes "are facing drugs bans ahead of this summer’s Olympics following the retesting of doping samples from the Beijing Games," according to Ben Rumsby of the London TELEGRAPH. More "were set follow in the coming days," with the IOC "close to completing retests of samples from London 2012 using the very latest methods." Both retests "were ordered to target athletes likely to compete in Rio this summer and involve 454 samples from the Beijing Games of eight years ago and 250 from London." The 31 positive tests from Beijing "came from six sports and 12 nationalities, with other identifying information kept confidential for the time being." The IOC said, "The aim is to stop any drugs cheats coming to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro" (TELEGRAPH, 5/17). REUTERS' Martyn Herman wrote an IOC official said that "no names would be made public at this stage until athletes had been informed and a second sample, or B-sample, tested as well." The re-tests, a regular procedure by the IOC as it looks to use newer methods or look for new substances, "were carried out in conjunction with the World Anti-Doping Agency" and int'l federations.
The IOC said it had also called on WADA to launch a "fully fledged investigation" into allegations that testing during the Sochi 2014 winter Olympics by the on-site accredited laboratory had been subverted (REUTERS, 5/17).
MORE TO COME: The PA reported the IOC also announced that "the results of 250 more retests from London 2012 would come shortly, with further retesting of medallists from 2008 and 2012 also planned." IOC President Thomas Bach said, "All these measures are a powerful strike against the cheats we do not allow to win. They show once again that dopers have no place to hide" (PA, 5/17).
RUSSIA UNDECIDED: The AFP reported Russia, in a bid to get its athletes to Rio, admitted over the weekend it had a “problem” with doping and was “very sorry” that its cheats had not been caught sooner. Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said, "Serious mistakes have been made by the federation management, along with athletes and coaches who have broken anti-doping rules and neglected the principle of fair play." Mutko did not, however, "admit any involvement in doping by the Russian government, a central charge in both November’s WADA report and allegations that test samples were switched at the Sochi Olympics." Russia "will discover on June 17 whether its athletics federation has met the reform criteria to return to competition in time for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics" (AFP, 5/18).
