2012: Tower Bridge in London on the opening day of the UK Olympic Games. Photo: Daniel Hambury / Pa Photo
The International Testing Agency (ITA) retested 2,727 doping samples from the London 2012 Olympics. The work resulted in 73 new positive tests.
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With new analytical tools, the testing agency has revealed several athletes who broke the rules for using illegal substances during the London 2012 Olympics.
73 of the 2,727 samples that passed inspection a decade ago were found to contain traces of banned substances. The findings resulted in 31 medal winners in four disciplines having to return their medals, the ITA says in a press release.
– The result clearly shows that in the fight against doping, all means at our disposal must be used to protect justice and athletes, says ITA director Benjamin Cohen.
– Sometimes time is such a tool that allows you to apply new sciences and new methods to tests that were given several years ago, he continues.
None of the 73 athletes have been identified by name, but they are broken down into the following nations and sports:
ITA has mainly focused on the reanalysis of samples in branches typically characterized by doping. Weightlifters will account for 36 of the 73 tests, while athletics had 28 test positive.
Anabolic steroids in particular should have been easier to detect with the new analysis tools.
“Cheaters should never feel safe now, tomorrow, or ten years from now,” says Cohen.
