IOC to retest Beijing samples
Doping samples already provided by athletes in Beijing will be retested by the IOC
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Wednesday, 08, Oct 2008 10:49
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced it will retest every doping sample given by athletes at the Beijing Games to check for evidence of a new blood-boosting drug.
Cera, which is a more advanced version of the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO, has been discovered in at least two cyclists competing in the 2008 Tour de France since a new test was implemented.
And now, in a move that is intended to stymie criticism that its drugs-testing programme is not comprehensive enough, the IOC has said it will retest the more than 5,000 samples provided in all sports in China this summer.
The redesigned test for athletes' samples is expected to turn up more positive results than the six who have already been disqualified by the IOC in Beijing.
Heptathlete Lyudmila Blonska and weightlifter Igor Razoronov from Ukraine were excluded after testing positive for banned substances in Beijing, along with Greek hurdler Fani Halkia, North Korean shooter Kim Jong Su, Spanish cyclist Isabel Moreno and Vietnamese gymnast Thi Ngan Thuong Do.