IOC to retest all doping samples from Beijing

The International Olympic Committee will retest samples taken during the Beijing Olympics in order to screen for a new drug that didn't show up in the previous round.

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Wed. Oct. 8 2008 9:08 AM ET

The International Olympic Committee will retest samples taken during the Beijing Olympics in order to screen for a new drug that didn't show up in the previous round.

The IOC announced the unprecedented re-testing plans on Wednesday.

Testers will screen for CERA, a new generation drug that was unknown until officials discovered its presence during retesting from results at the Tour de France.

In total, 5,000 samples were taken in Beijing, though it isn't clear how many of those will be retested for the blood-boosting substance that increases the number of oxygen-rich cells.

CERA is a new generation of EPO, a hormone that is most effective for endurance sports.

Some have suggested the retesting will target samples from athletes who compete in those sports.

The 5,000 samples from across all sports will be sent to the World Anti-doping Agency's lab in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"This clearly demonstrates the determination that there is zero tolerance (on doping), and that we will use all the means available to catch the cheaters," IOC vice president Thomas Bach told The Associated Press.

The drug was found when urine samples from Tour de France athletes were retested. They had originally been deemed suspicious, but no conclusive results were reached.

The three racers who tested positive for the drug won a combined total of five stages in the gruelling race.

Germany's Stefan Schumacher, and Italian riders Riccardo Ricco and Leonardo Piepoli tested positive for CERA.

The positive findings mark a step forward for anti-doping procedures, said Tour chief Christian Prudhomme.

"It's very good. It allows us to confound the cheaters," Prudhomme said Tuesday. "What's being done at the Tour de France has never existed in the world of sport."

During the Beijing Olympics six competitors were disqualified for doping and three other cases have not yet been decided.

Comments are now closed for this story

Roger T
said

Lets move on as the games are officially over. Stop focusing on the past and move towards the present and learn from the mistakes.

We are in a economic hard time and this will affect everyone, winning or losing in the Olympics games is not the time to focus on this but rather see everyone make it to prosperity rather than Disparity!

reece
said

$45 billion spent on the last olympics....they should be testing the leaders for crack & marijuana use too.

Mo
said

In response to one of teh comments above, sure we have become a drug culture, but that's another issue on it's own that's confounding our health care system. Many people on drugs have a legitimate use, some do not. However, saying that just because so many people takes drugs that we should stop testing gives the wrong impression on what we wish to achieve in these drug tests in the first place. And although you can't catch all the drugs, that's not a reason to give up, nor is it unbeneficial to catch as many cheaters as possible. Sure you can say some might get away, but most athletes wouldn't take that risk.

Pip
said

s long as there is so much money poured into the Olympics there will be problems such as this As long as the media make a nation's score of medals more important than the act of competition, there will be more of this. As long as venues out-do each other in spending on facilities - and influencing IOC members,in their favor, there will ne more of this.

"This" is corruption, pure and simple.

Norman
said

There will always be cheaters.
They can always find something that is one step ahead.
Don't test all 5,000 samples, just the medal winners and those who would benefit from any subsequent disqualifications.
If the cheating is found to be rampant, I'd say it's a farce and let's just close down the Olympic Games once and for all.

Doug BC
said

With all the money ivolved in winning,I'm afraid cheating through drug use will never be completely eradicated.But I think the testing and humiliation of cheaters should go o.It helps some athletes in their decision to "go straight".
The problem with "island girl"'s suggestion is that even after the athletes get off of the drugs,the muscle mass they accumulated by using steroids continues to give them an unfair advantage over "clean" competitors.

Dd
said

island girl...keeping them in quarantine for several weeks would do no good. The doping doesn't happen that close to the games. Much of it occurs late the year before.

One whistle blower insinuated that the labs where the testing occurs have been bought off or simply neglect to report findings. In fact,the regular testing that goes on during the years prior to the games doesn't test at the same rate during the time that doping is at its peak.

This isn't just a problem at game time. The problems at the labs and the regulations need to be stricter. Testing needs to occur on a regular basis and be processed in an objective lab (ie test American results at a British lab...Canadian results at a Japanese lab etc).

Ryder
said

In my opinion, testing should be randomly carried out on all athletes through the training of all potential Olympic, Pan-American, and any other athletic contests. There should also be a zero tolerance policy. If you are caught...you're finished! The IOC should also get back to the roots of the games; AMATEUR athletes only!! Let the pros enjoy their paychecks and the Amateurs prove themselves at the games.

island girl
said

Time to either quit spending money holding Olympics, or quarantine athletes for several weeks before an event.

Simon Shaw
said

I personally do not use drugs...this includes aspirin. The fact is that we are a drug culture. Nearly everyone reading this and their children are on something. If you feel down you take prozak, If your child is hyper you give them ritalin, to have intercourse with your wife you take viagra, keep our air force pilots flying they take dextroamphetamine, . The list goes on and on. Why is it that we treat atheletes differently. They are just like you, looking for an edge to get them through the day. ... if everyone uses banned substances then maybe we should just stop testing. The fact is that you can't test for muscle gained by steroids ,where the individual has stopped prior to the time it can be found in their system. We are all human and a victim of our individual failings. Just accept it and move on.

Ben Jonston
said

All of the 4th place finishers just said yippee -test that pee! There may be funding for me, as a medal winner!

people olny care during the games
said

call me in 2010, when i'll care again!

Get these dopes !
said

I see no reason time and again to host Olympics when the athletes insist on using foreign substances to boost their performances. Anyone caught using a foreign substance should be banned for life. ...

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