IOC tests over 14,000 athletes ahead of Winter Olympics

The Pre-Games Anti-Doping Taskforce along with National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (IFs) tested over 6,000 athletes from 61 countries.

IOC tests over 14,000 athletes ahead of Winter Olympics

(Reuters)





The IOC said there was a 70 percent increase in the number of tests conducted between April and December 2017 as compared to the same period in 2016.

"Protecting clean athletes by fighting doping is a top priority for the IOC... we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that Pyeongchang 2018 provides a level playing field for all clean athletes," IOC medical and scientific director Richard Budgett said.

The taskforce, which was set up to monitor and optimise the testing, has placed extra scrutiny on Russian athletes.

Twice the number of Russian athletes were tested in November and December, as compared to those from any other country.

The IOC last month banned Russia from the Pyeongchang Games as a result of its "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the anti-doping system, though individual athletes will be able to compete effectively as neutrals if they can prove their anti-doping credentials.

Widespread doping by Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games was exposed by an independent report for the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Apart from increased testing, the IOC is also aiming to improve testing methods by focussing on factors such as high-risk disciplines and nationalities, suspicious changes in performance and adverse testing history.





(Reporting by Aditi Prakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
IOC tests over 14,000 athletes ahead of Winter Olympics | SBS News