The IOC has "vowed to stamp out drug cheats before the Rio Olympics by doubling its pre-Games testing and taking the unprecedented step of targeting competitors from Kenya, Mexico and Russia," according to Jacquelin Magnay of THE AUSTRALIAN. The IOC exec board issued a "five-point anti-doping statement after a lengthy meeting" in Lausanne, Switzerland, and announced an Olympic summit in October after the Rio Games to "establish an independent drug-testing process in conjunction with the World Anti- Doping Agency." This means the IOC, which half-funds WADA, "is looking to take over the drug-testing process from international sports federations involved in the summer and winter games." The IOC also wants to "ensure the integrity of athletes from Kenya, Mexico and Russia -- here drug-testing is currently non-compliant with regulations" -- and said that it will implement "a special focus" on athletes from those countries for immediate testing (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/3).
DOUBLING THE BUDGET: REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann reported the IOC said that it "was also doubling the budget allocated for pre-Olympics drugs testing" from $500,000 to $1M. It will be targeting those sports WADA "considers most affected." IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said, "We want to make sure any targeted athletes who have a positive result will be stopped from competing in Rio" (REUTERS, 6/1).
FIVE NEW SPORTS: In a separate piece, Grohmann reported Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori said that Tokyo organizers "were taken by surprise" by the IOC's decision to "approve a Japanese proposal and recommend the inclusion of five sports in four years time." Mori also said that the Olympic body "had no questions over a payment during its successful bid to host the 2020 Games that had triggered an investigation back home." On Wednesday, the IOC approved Tokyo's proposal for five more sports, with baseball/softball, skateboarding, surfing, climbing and karate "to feature at the Games in 2020." The IOC "must now rubber-stamp the decision at its session in Rio de Janeiro in August." Mori: "We planned to make the presentation (for the new sports) ... but the IOC took the decision when I was up in the clouds traveling from Tokyo. I felt like a heavenly feeling. I felt like up in the clouds because it is a package approval" (REUTERS, 6/2).
