Doping war intensifies

Press, 27 April 1989, Page 36

Doping war intensifies

NZPA-Reuter Barcelona Olympic chiefs launched a fresh initiative in their war against doping on Tuesday. The international federations governing the 25 sports in the Summer Games were asked by the International Olympic Committee (1.0. C. to sign an agreement which would form the basis of a new world-wide antidoping campaign. 1.0. C. sources said it was hoped the document would be ratified on Thursday at a meeting between the 1.0. C. executive board and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (A.5.0.1.F.). The proposed agreement is the latest in a series of measures undertaken by sports leaders in the wake of the doping scandals at the Seoul Olympics which resulted in 10

athletes being tossed out of the Games, most notably the 100 m winner, Ben Johnson. It seeks to establish closer harmony between the 1.0. C. and the international federations in the application of all anti-doping measures. It specifies that only the 15 1.0. C.-accredited anti-doping laboratories may be used for tests, both in and out of competition. The document also seeks the co-operation of National Olympic Committees and governments in preventing the trafficking of banned substances. The proposed agreement is an extension of the 1.0.C.’s plan launched two years ago to iron out variations in the length of bans imposed on doping offenders by the different international federations.