On the eve of the opening of the Beijing Games, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge admitted that it could yield up to 40 positive drugs tests.
“I expect there to be between 30-40 positive tests based on an extrapolation from Athens in 2004 where there were 26 from 3,500 tests and here there will be 4,500 tests,” said Rogge.
“If we have fewer I will be extremely glad because that would suggest that with all the testing over the past four years there is a deterrent effect.”
Rogge said he was disappointed that drug use in sport was still a major problem but recognised that there will always be cheats.
“I hate doping, but it would be wrong for us to be Utopians. There will always be criminality in the world. There are 500 million people practicing sports in the world; there are not 500 million saints.”
Follow us on
