UKAD has been appointed as the secretariat for an International Olympic Committee anti-doping taskforce which will oversee testing procedures and seek to fill any gaps or inconsistencies.
Advertisement
The news comes at a time when doping scandals are embroiling sport, including Russia’s suspension by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and a spate of drug test failures for newly banned heart attack drug meldonium.
Sir Craig Reedie, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), called on broadcasters and sponsors to help fund clean sport during his opening speech at Wada’s annual Symposium for Anti-Doping Organisations in Lausanne.
“I did, however, ensure that key members of WADA’s management team were in contact with the Stepanovs before, during and after the independent commission’s investigation”.
“My job is not to be particularly concerned about the civil rights of the cheats, it’s to protect the clean athletes”.
Meldonium or (mildronate) was included in the list of drugs banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency from January 1, 2016, after which several Russian athletes tested positive for the banned substance.
The re-testing of hundreds of samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 is already under way and is focused on athletes expected to compete in Rio this year. “This includes in particular athletes likely to compete in Rio de Janeiro who also competed in London and Beijing, and specific methods of analysis where there have been advances”.
The targeted tests will be carried out before August’s Olympic Games in Rio, with the results known in a “number of weeks or months”, according to IOC medical and scientific director Richard Budgett.
“I have heard ever-more vociferous calls for a slice of the millions of dollars that are paid for sport television revenue to be provided to the anti-doping cause”, he said.
Advertisement
During their presentation to iNADO, the Stepanovs said they’ve felt the support from different factions in sports but would also like to see more action – including assurances the Russian track team will not compete in Rio, de Pencier said.
