MONACO (AP) — Track and field athletes from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Portugal will be tested more frequently ahead of the Paris Olympics because their national anti-doping programs are substandard, a track and field investigation says. authorities announced on Monday.
After the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, countries failed to heed warnings to improve unannounced testing for the 2023 Games, the track and field association announced, and targeted testing by country “This is unprecedented,” he said.
The AIU, which is widely considered to be the best in the Olympic sport when it comes to investigating doping and corruption, said: “All four schools will have a team-appropriate (non-competitive) team at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest. “They failed to ensure that testing was carried out.” .
At the 2023 World Championships, Ecuador and Peru won one silver medal each, and Brazil won one bronze medal. Everyone was race walking.
World Athletics says non-elite athletes from four countries can only qualify for Paris if they provide at least three anonymous samples during training in the 10 months up to July 4. It supported the AIU's recommendations. Paris opens on August 1st.
“In this Olympic year, this is a reminder to all member federations that the AIU and World Athletics are very serious about ensuring a level playing field for our athletes,” said AIU President David Howman. I believe it will happen,” he said.
Athletes competing in endurance events, defined as distances of 800 meters or more, will be required to undergo more rigorous testing. She must also undergo a blood sample for a biological passport and a test for her EPO, a banned blood-boosting hormone.
Enhanced testing will be carried out on athletes who are not ranked in the top 10 in the world rankings for their sport. Elite athletes are already targeted by AIU as medal contenders at major championships.
The Monaco-based law enforcement agency said the program would protect the Olympics from “athletes who quickly rise to prominence in the rankings, perform unexpectedly, or whose depth of talent makes their results unpredictable.” Stated.
Two national athletics teams, the Czech Republic and New Zealand, were also warned about their anti-doping programs after the 2022 world championships and were praised on Monday for “drastically improving testing”.
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