7 Positive tests from Beijing, cyclists implicated

• Wednesday, 29 April 2009
• Simon Richardson
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The IOC announced yesterday that seven positive results had been returned by retroactive tests carried out on samples from last summer's Olympic games.

948 samples were retested for CERA (the new form of EPO that Stefan Schumacher and Bernhard Kohl tested positive for at last year's Tour de France) and Insulin at the Paris and Lausanne laboratories, using the same test used at the 2008 Tour.

Seven adverse analytical findings were reported, concerning six athletes.

"The further analysis of the Beijing samples that we conducted should send a clear message that cheats can never assume that they have avoided detection,” said Arne Ljungqvist, Chairman of the IOC Medical Commission. “The vast majority of athletes do not seek an unfair advantage. We intend to do all we can to ensure that they have a fair environment for competition."

Although the IOC have refused to comment further, the Associated Press have reported that two of the six athletes were medalists, one of which was a cyclist, the other a gold medalist from track and field.

Italian sports paper Gazzetta Dello Sport went further, saying Davide Rebellin was one of the athletes returning a positive test. Last week's winner of Fleche Wallonne won a silver medal in the Olympic road race. Since then the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) confirmed they had been advised that Rebellin had returned a positive test.

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