Sample re-tests from Sochi Olympics to run to 2022: IOC
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[February 21, 2017]
By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN (Reuters) - The re-testing of
samples from the 2014 Sochi winter Olympics in Russia to identify
any cheats who had competed there will last another five years to
2022, the International Olympic Committee said.
The IOC is re-testing thousands of samples from the Beijing 2008 and
London 2012 summer Games as well as the Vancouver 2010 and Sochi
winter Olympics to root out any doping offenders.
More than 100 have so far seen their sample test positive from
Beijing and London alone, with dozens of medals having been stripped
so far.
In addition a total of 28 Russian athletes who took part in Sochi,
face disciplinary proceedings over possible manipulation of their
urine samples from the Sochi Games.
The IOC had said in December there was "evidence of manipulation of
one or more of their urine samples" collected in Sochi.
This follows publication late last year of the second and final part
of the World Anti-Doping Agency's independent McLaren report into
Russian doping.
It found more than 1,000 Russian competitors in more than 30 sports
were involved in an institutional conspiracy to conceal positive
drug tests over the course of five years.
"The IOC has an ongoing program of reanalysis of all stored samples
from Sochi, Vancouver and London," an IOC spokesperson said on
Tuesday.
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"We have no specific timeline. The IOC will continue to communicate
on a case by case basis as soon as disciplinary procedures are
completed."
"The reanalysis from Sochi of samples from athletes from many
different sports and countries will continue through to 2022," the
official told Reuters.
The IOC stores samples from past Games for a decade to re-test them
at a later date using newer methods or searching for substances that
were unknown to anti-doping officials at the time of the
competition.
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The McLaren report into systematic state-backed doping in Russia
over the past years, including during Sochi, has triggered two IOC
investigations into the affair and a re-testing of samples.
Russian athletes were partly banned from competing at last year's
Rio de Janeiro Olympics while a decision on their participation or
not at the 2018 winter Games in South Korea's Pyeongchang has yet to
be taken.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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