Thirty athletes stopped from coming to Games

[gotosy 493]

VANCOUVER — Olympic chiefs said 30 athletes had been prevented from attending the Vancouver Games and set up a commission to look into competitors' entourages in a bid to stamp out doping cheats.

Following the first day of a key meeting of the International Olympic Committee, IOC director of communications Mark Adams said the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had notified the IOC over the 30 athletes.

"WADA did tell us today that there are 30 athletes who have been prevented from coming to the Games because they have tested positive," said Adams on Wednesday.

But he said it was a WADA report to the IOC session and that he did not have any more details on the athletes and their alleged offences.

WADA was not immediately available for comment.

Meanwhile, Adams said the IOC had decided to set up a body to look into the groups of people surrounding athletes "often making a good living" but said it was at its early stages.

"We want to look into the people surrounding the athletes, the coaches, doctors, technical officials and so on that they are respecting the ethical principles too, that the blame doesn't fall fully on the athletes alone," Adams said.

"Clearly an athlete who's caught doping will very often not be acting by themselves. They'll have the help of doctors, trainers and so on," he said.

Adams said it was too early to spell out details on the commission.

AFP

[canuckfan 4]

When will they release the names? Biathlon starts in 48 hours and I expect many of those 30 are biathletes.

[Fox334 93]

When will they release the names? Biathlon starts in 48 hours and I expect many of those 30 are biathletes.

Probably many Russian Biathletes...

I just hope that no Canadian are among the group, but I've got to believe its unlikely considering how much Canadian athletes are tested (then again, its not impossible).

[canuckfan 4]

Canadian Olympic Team press chief Sylvie Bigras said Canadian athletes are not affected. "To the best of my knowledge, I don't know of any Canadians failing pre-Games drugs testing."

WADA was supposed to hold a news conferance at 11 a.m., Vancouver time.

[nykfan845 51]

Reportedly no US athletes are in the 30 either.

[micheal_warren 206]

The Kiwis are all ok. But yea it will probably be the Biathletes. They should be named!

[canuckfan 4]

It looks like WADA won't reveal the names because the dopers were caught by their national federations and not by WADA, FIS, etc.

Some of the names are already known anyway (Alena Sidko for example).

I guess we'll see if some big names are involved when they start to release the start lists for the events.