The World Anti-doping Agency published a report this week that explains how a number of athletes were requested and scheduled to be tested for blood doping in London, but simply didn’t show up and somehow avoided earning any sanctions.
“It was observed that in some instances athletes failed to ‘report’ to doping control at the assigned time,” a statement, compiled by a team of nine from the Independent Observer, read. “As no written procedure was available for doping control staff in these situations, no consequences for failing to appear seemed to be enforced by the IOC or relevant International Federations.”
I’m sure disqualified Belorussian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk wished she knew this was an option.
The report made suggestions about how London and future Olympic organizing committees could best share whereabouts information with anti-doping program, but also praised London’s high-tech facility and its extensive measures taken to assure fair play. LOCOG and U.K. Anti-doping tested more than 5,064 samples and collected another 430, resulting in eight positive tests.