Fight Against Doping – WADA to Retest Beijing Blood Samples, Italians to Investigate Turin Doping Case

David Howman, WADA director general, suggests that further Beijing retesting could occur as drug detection becomes more sophisticated. (Getty Images)WADA: Beijing Retest No Surprise

The World Anti-Doping Agency's director general tells Around the Rings that the retesting of doping samples from the Beijing Olympics should not surprise anyone as the fight against doping intensifies.

"We anticipated these things would occur and so did the IOC and we are working together with them," said David Howman.

Howman said WADA was alerted to the test for Cera, a form of the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO, as a result of the research it had been engaged in for some time.

He anticipates that the IOC's retesting regime will unearth some drug cheats who have so far gone undetected. "If people think they can get away with it they are sadly mistaken," he said.

Howman added WADA continues to work on a daily basis to advance its doping tests and indicated that retesting of frozen blood and urine samples from the Beijing Games for other prohibited drugs would probably happen in the future. "Anything is possible. That is the point of having an eight-year statute of limitations."

As part of its zero-tolerance policy against doping, the IOC stores samples collected during the Olympics for eight years. This allows the IOC to analyze samples retroactively should fully validated tests to detect new substances/methods become available.

Howman's comments came after the IOC said Wednesday that the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne would retest the samples collected this summer. The new process developed to trace Cera is a blood test so only blood samples from Beijing will be retested.

Of the almost 5,000 doping tests in Beijing, 969 blood tests were conducted.

The IOC's decision comes after Tour De France officials confirmed that a German and two Italian riders had tested positive for the banned drug.

The IOC has yet to detail how many samples will be tested or how long the procedure will take but said it would cover all sports at the Olympics, not just cycling. "Our message is very clear. The IOC will not miss any opportunity to further analyze samples retroactively," said IOC President Jacques Rogge in a statement.

The IOC's anti-doping campaign in Beijing resulted in six athletes being banned for testing positive for banned substances. Three other cases are still pending; with Belarusian hammer throwers Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan having been given until Oct. 17 to provide more information explaining why they tested positive for testosterone. A decision is due imminently in the case of Polish canoeist Adam Seroczynski, who tested positive for Clenbuterol.

Italians to Investigate 10 Austrians

Italian investigators notified 10 members of the Austrian Nordic skiing team that they were under investigation as part of the doping scandal that rocked the Turin Olympics.

Walter Mayer could face trial in Italy over a blood doping scandal, the second one Mayer has been implicated in. (Getty Images)Investigators said they completed their fact finding mission and the notified athletes and officials could face trial in Italy.

Among those notified was Walter Mayer, a coach who was involved in a similar scandal at the 2002 Olympics. His presence at the 2006 Olympics caused investigators to raid the house of the Austrian Nordic skiing teams where blood doping equipment was found.

The other Austrians who could face trial include the president of the Austrian Ski Federation, five athletes, two coaches and the federation's medical director.

The implicated athletes and officials have 20 days to present evidence or face questioning. If convicted, penalties could be as severe as three years in prison.

Halkia Victim of "Malicious Act"

Greek hurdler Fani Halkia said she was the victim of a "malicious act" that caused her to fail a drug test before the Beijing Olympics.

Halkia made the claim in a written statement delivered to Athens prosecutor Costas Simitzoglou.

"The action attributed to me is a malicious act by third parties that I was unaware of," Halkia said.

"I never knowingly took a banned substance, and I never knowingly used methyltrienolone at the Olympics."

Halkia won gold in the 400-meter hurdles in Athens and was expelled from the Beijing Games after the results of her drug test became known. Fourteen other Greek athletes tested positive for drugs this year.

Halkia, her coach Panagiotopoulos and sprinter Tassos Gousis are under investigation in Greece to see if they broke Greek laws obtaining and distributing drugs. The investigation is a result of the IOC filing a suit against the trio. Halkia says her coach did nothing illegal, and all three claim innocence.

Operation Puerto Closed

A court in Madrid closed the Operation Puerto investigation without a single conviction. Officials were investigating a doping ring in cycling but found no criminal offenses.

The investigation was Fani Halkia said in a statement that a "malicious act" is the reason she failed a drug test. (Getty Images) first closed in March of 2007 but a judge reopened the case in February after new evidence was presented against implicated doctors.

Operation Puerto was launched in 2006 after raids on homes in two Spanish towns turned up steroids, blood transfusion equipment and blood bags. Police claimed at the time 50 riders were part of the ring and implicated winners of the three biggest cycling tours.

Armstrong Cleared to Race

The International Cycling Union (UCI) cleared Lance Armstrong to race in the Tour Down Under.

Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven times, announced he was returning to competitive cycling and said the Tour Down Under was his first step in a comeback. UCI put the brakes on that plan when the federation said that, according to regulations introduced in 2004, all riders returning to cycling had to be registered with their national anti-doping organization for six months before competing.

"Consequently, Lance Armstrong would only be able to return to the sport at international level from Feb. 1, 2009, a week after the end of the Australian event."

However, the governing body decided to wave that rule Wednesday and allow Armstrong to compete in Australia.

UCI said their confidence is bolstered because drug tests are more sophisticated than when the rule was created.

"The UCI can confirm that Lance Armstrong has and will be the subject of very strict monitoring throughout the period running up to his return to the peloton."

Armstrong was delighted to learn about the ruling.

"I am pleased and thankful with the UCI decision handed down today," Armstrong said. "I look forward to my return to racing at the Tour Down Under and more importantly I am excited to get to Adelaide to begin our Global Cancer campaign."

Pessoa Punished by FEI

Rodrigo Pessoa, the 2004 gold medalist in show jumping, was banned from competition and fined for doping his horse Rufus.

The International Equestrian Federation said Pessoa was forbidden to ride until Jan. 10, and fined him $1,766. Additionally, FEI removed his fifth place finish in the Beijing Games from the record books.

FEI said they considered Pessoa's good reputation when deciding on his punishment.

Rufus tested positive for the pain reliever nonivamide after competition in Hong Kong.

Written by

Ed Hula III and Mark Bisson

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