No names.
In terms of fire-fighting, attempting to put out the blaze of drug allegations surrounding athletics – almost ten days after the spark – is too little. Too late.
However, the IAAF are still claiming a success, this afternoon. It has revealed that after re-testing samples of 28 athletes who competed at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships in Helsinki and Osaka, 32 adverse findings were returned. That would mean at least two adverse findings for some athletes.
According to a statement on the IAAF website, none of those tested can yet be named. Most are not involved in sport any more, though the BBC’s Dan Roan says that six of those banned are still competing.
“A large majority of the 28 are retired, some are athletes who have already been sanctioned, and only very few remain active in sport. The IAAF is provisionally suspending them and can confirm that none of the athletes concerned will be competing in Beijing.”
6 of the 28 athletes who have been suspended by the IAAF today due to adverse samples from 05/07 were still competing
— Dan Roan (@danroan) August 11, 2015
I understand there are no Brits among the 28 athletes suspended by the IAAF today after re-testing of 05/07 samples.
— Dan Roan (@danroan) August 11, 2015
Expect Russia to be well represented among 'the 28'
— Dan Roan (@danroan) August 11, 2015
The news comes weeks after the Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD claimed that the athletics body ignored mass doping.
“This successful re-analysis, which commenced well before the recent criticisms of the IAAF anti-doping programme, confirms once again the extent to which the IAAF is willing to go in order to target and discover those who wish to cheat in our sport.”
“Regrettably, the testing science available to the IAAF and the entire anti-doping community was not sufficient to detect these substances at the time in 2005 and 2007. The science progressed significantly in the following 10 years, and the IAAF has taken full advantage of the new techniques available.”
