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 |