Doping scandal taints London Olympics as 23 athletes test positive

More than 20 athletes from five sports tested positive for banned drugs in re-checks of samples from the 2012 London Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said on Friday. The 23 competitors, who were targeted because they were likely to take part in this year’s games in Rio de Janeiro, were from six different national teams. They have been informed but have not been named until their samples or B tests have been analysed. IOC president Thomas Bach said: “These reanalyses show, once again, our determination in the fight against doping.”

We want to keep the dopers away from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This is why we are acting swiftly now.

IOC president Thomas Bach

The IOC stores samples for a decade to re-test them using newer methods or to look for new drugs. Last week, it found 31 athletes from six sports who could be banned from Rio for failing doping tests when 454 samples were re-examined from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The IOC, which also announced one more sample from Beijing with “abnormal parameters”, said the re-testing programme was still in progress and could deliver more positive checks in the coming weeks.

It’s the most complete shock. I can’t explain how it could have happened. I was always sure what supplements and medicines I was using

High jumper Anna Chicherova, named as one of 14 Russians to fail the Beijing re-checks

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