Medals Coming for U.S. Gymnasts; WADA Oversees Tour de France Testing

Medals for U.S. Gymnasts

USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny travelled to Lausanne this week to collect six bronze medals from the Sydney Olympics that will be re-awarded to the U.S. women’s team from those Games.

The six gymnasts -- Amy Chow, Jamie Dantzscher, Dominique Dawes, Kristen Maloney, Elise Ray and Tasha Schwikert -- were ruled as the bronze medalists by the IOC after it was determined that the Chinese team in Sydney contained under-age members.

The Chinese have returned their medals, but the ones Penny is carrying back to the U.S. were cast anew from the molds for the Sydney medals.

Senior U.S. IOC member Anita DeFrantz will present the medals to the U.S. gymnasts at the Visa National Championships

in August in Hartford, Ct.

WADA Observers Oversee Tour de France Drug Testing

Independent observers appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency will monitor doping controls at the 2010 Tour de France that begins in Rotterdam next week.

WADA struck an agreement with the International Cycling Union, UCI, on the plan this week. The observers will oversee the drug testing process conducted by the UCI, from the selection of riders to be tested to the management of the results of the analyses conducted, with access to all related documentation.

A report on the UCI's anti-doping activities at the 2010 Tour de France will be written by the observers and made public.

"The presence of independent observers at major sporting events contributes to strengthen the protection provided to clean athletes and to enhance their confidence, as well as the public’s confidence, in the doping control and results management processes," said WADA president John Fahey.

The UCI/WADA agreement was reached in response to a request by the cycling federation last October to ensure the total transparency of its activities in the fight against doping at the most important race on the calendar.

The 2010 Tour de France takes place from July 3 to 25.

Austrian Runner Banned

Austrian silver medalist in athletics Stefanie Graf received a two year ban for doping, six years after she retired from competition.

Graf, 37, was banned after the Austrian national anti-doping agency determined she had blood drawn at the Vienna laboratory Humanplasma in 2003.

The lab was caught in a doping scandal where it was found to have performed blood doping between 2003 and 2006. Graf admitted she had blood drawn at Humanplasma but denied having it re-injected.

Her ban began on Monday.

Graf won silver in the 800 meters at the Sydney Games in 2000. She retired before the 2004 Athens Olympics.

NewSignatories for Anti-Doping Convention

WADA says 141 countries out of the 193 UNESCO member states have now ratified the International Convention against Doping in Sport.

Comoros and Marshall Islands, in Southern Africa and the Pacific respectively, were the latest to complete ratification procedures.

The UNESCO Convention, which came into force in Feb. 2007, allows governments to formalize their commitment in the fight against doping.

The convention permits governments to align their domestic policies with WADA's code, harmonizing the rules governing anti-doping in sport and public legislation.

WADA Drops Malaysia Lab

WADA revoked the accreditation of its Malaysia laboratory, due to non-compliance with its international standards.

The revocation, effective July 17, means the Penang laboratory - first suspended in May for failing to meet WADA’s quality requirements - will no longer be authorized to carry out anti-doping analyses.

WADA’s Executive Committee made the decision following a review of the lab's status by the doping agency's disciplinary panel.

The laboratory has the right to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.

Written by Mark Bisson and Ed Hula III.