Athletics Fed Suspends Athletes After Re-Testing Doping Samples

(ATR) The IAAF is reporting 32 "adverse findings" as part of its re-testing of samples from past IAAF World Championships.

The samples were taken at the 2005 and 2007 championship events, held in Helsinki and Osaka.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the IAAF said 28 athletes, most of whom are retired and were not competing at the 2015 worlds next week, will face disciplinary action after re-analysis of urine samples.

Allegations of widespread doping in athletics were triggered by a leaked database obtained by German broadcaster and The Sunday Times.After analysis of the results of 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes taken from 2001 to 2012, they concluded that 800 were suspicious.

During the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur last month,IAAF president Lamine Diack addressed the extensive doping allegations.

"The IAAF has always shown that, there should be no doubt at all on the values or the performance records of the athletes in question," he told IOC members. "We started sanctioning athletes 20 years ago for having refused to accept out of competition tests. I think the first sanction was in 1993."

IOC president Thomas Bach also faced questions regarding the fresh doping allegations toward the end of the IOC session.

"We have full confidence in the inquiry of the World Anti-Doping Agency and then we will follow suit," he said. "We have to wait for what is the outcome there.

"We have to respect the presumption of innocence and we have to respect the rights of the athletes."

Diack suggested that retroactive testing was useful, but not always reliable. "No one should come and tell us that from 2001 to 2012, that on the podium there was someone who had [a positive blood sample] some medals should be re-distributed.

"It's even disgusting. It's a sham."

The 2015 IAAF World Championships will open next week on Aug. 22 in Beijing. Organizers say that this marks the largest sporting event to take place at the Beijing National Stadium since the 2008 Olympics.

Athletes from around 59 countries will compete at the worlds next week. Competition ends on Aug. 30.

Written byNicole Bennett

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