adminLONDON — The world of athletics was rocked yesterday by “wild” doping allegations involving hundreds of suspect blood samples, just as global sports leaders were meeting in Malaysia.
International Olympic Committee members and sports federation chiefs woke to the news that IAAF test data had been leaked to news organisations and that it allegedly showed suspect samples from athletes, including Olympic and world championship medallists.
Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper and German broadcaster ARD/WDR say they were given access to the results of over 12,000 blood tests provided by more than 5,000 athletes over 11 years in a case that could plunge athletics into a new doping crisis.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) says it is “very alarmed” after fresh allegations of suspected doping emerged in a leak of test data.
The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/WRD have obtained access to the results of 12 000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes.
According to the newspaper, the evidence — which has been seen by the BBC — reveals the “extraordinary extent of cheating” by athletes at the world’s biggest events.
Wada’s independent commission will investigate the claims in the ARD/WRD documentary Doping – Top Secret: The Shadowy World of Athletics.
Wada president Sir Craig Reedie said his organisation was “very disturbed by these new allegations… which will, once again, shake the foundation of clean athletes worldwide”.
The files belong to world governing body the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), but have been leaked by a whistle-blower.
The Sunday Times and ARD/WRD used two of the world’s “foremost anti-doping experts”, scientists Robin Parisotto and Michael Ashenden, to review the data. — BBC Sport
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter