First positive dope case in Osaka meet

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from Japan

ATHLETICS: The first positive dope case of the 11th IAAF World Championships in Japan was reported today but the world track and field governing body declined to disclose the identity of the athlete who has been bound guilty.

IAAF President Lamine Diack said latest laboratory testing have reported one positive case in urine samples tested for banned substances.

“We have found one positive case but the identity and the nationality of the athlete could not be disclosed right now. In keeping with the IAAF regulations for anti-doping we should be able to announce it by next week, once everything is finalized,” Diack told a news conference this afternoon.

He said a total of 926 athletes have been tested for banned substances. “A total of 510 blood samples have been collected so far. There have been 108 (50 EPO) pre-competition urine samples and another 442 in-competition (128 EPO) samples collected,” he added.

The IAAF chief said the testing for steroids at the Osaka World Championship began on August 20 and would end after they collect the final urine sample at tonight’s finals.

So far, a total of 1060 doping control tests have been completed. The IAAF said prize money for the medal winners would only be released after they get the result of the last dope test.

The World Championship medalists are richly rewarded for their efforts with a champion getting as much as USD 80,000 for a gold, USD 40,000 for a silver and USD 20,000 for a bronze.

Apart from those, all finalists of the respective events would get cash incentives with a minimum of USD 4,000 for an athlete who finishes last in a final.

Sri Lanka’s women’s 200m bronze medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe too is amongst those who have been tested. The anti-doping officials have collected urine samples of Jayasinghe on two occasions during the ten-day competition.

OSAKA, Sunday