The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced today that the samples collected this summer during the Olympic Games in Beijing will be further analysed as of January next year.
All the samples have now been repatriated to the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne, where the majority of the tests will be conducted.
The details of the testing programme, which will primarily target endurance events in cycling, rowing, swimming and athletics, will include approximately 400 samples tested for CERA, and another 100 samples will be tested for an Insulin Hormone that can enhance performance by influencing the glycogen metabolism.
The tests are due to start in January 2009, and the first results are expected to be communicated at the end of the first quarter.
As part of its zero-tolerance policy against doping, the IOC is storing samples collected during the Olympic Games for eight years. This allows the IOC to analyse samples retroactively should fully validated tests to detect new substances/methods become available.
Some 4,770 doping tests were carried out in Beijing in the framework of the largest ever testing programme for an Olympic Games. The tests included 3,801 urine and 969 blood tests. Urine tests included 817 EPO tests, and blood tests covered 471 human Growth Hormone (hGH) tests. All the tests covered the 29-day period from 27 July until 24 August 2008. Athletes qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games were tested by the World Anti-Doping Agency and BOCOG under the authority of the IOC. As a general rule, all top five finishers, plus a further two, were tested.