IOC to keep doping samples eight years (UPI)
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, July 29 (UPI) — The International Olympic Committee says it will keep drug-test samples from athletes in its files for eight years, starting through the Beijing Games.
The announcement represents a proud vary from the policy in that the IOC kept drug test samples for 90 days if positive and 30 days allowing that negative, USA Today reported Tuesday.
The intent, it said, is to make athletes competing this year in Beijing subject to new types of tests that may developed in the future by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
“This is definitely significant,” U.S. Anti-Doping Agency spokeswoman Erin Hannan told USA Today. “I would imagine it serves as a huge deterrent to athletes.”
In its announcement, the IOC said it plans to conduct 4,500 urine or blood tests of Beijing Olympic athletes, compared with 3,600 tests conducted at the 2004 Athens Games.