LAUSANNE: More athletes risk missing the Rio Olympic Games in August after new positive dope checks from the retesting of samples taken during London 2012.

The International Olympic Committee, having uncovered 31 positive A samples from Beijing 2008, has said that reanalysis of London samples from 23 athletes in five sports and six countries has raised a further 23 cases.

Some 265 selected samples from the London Games were reanalysed, based on intelligence-gathering which began last August. More cases could still emerge.

IOC president Thomas Bach, facing dope-test crises at almost every turn, 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. I have already appointed a disciplinary commission, which has the full power to take all the decisions on behalf of the IOC.”

The reanalysis of samples from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 was performed using new analysis methods after work with the World Anti-Doping Agency and the international federations. The main focus was on athletes who could potentially participate in Rio.

An IOC statement said: “The athletes, NOCs and IFs concerned are already being informed, after which the proceedings against the athletes can begin.

“All athletes found to have infringed the anti-doping rules will be banned from competing at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.”

Last week the IOC announced that up to 31 athletes could be banned from competing at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 after the reanalysis of 454 samples from Beijing 2008.

Since then one further Beijing sample has shown ‘abnormal parameters’ which the IOC and the international federation will also follow up.

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