IOC to re-analyse all 254 Russian samples in Sochi

Lausanne, December 10

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it will re-analyse all 254 urine samples taken from Russian athletes who took part in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

The IOC said it had also extended the mandate of its own Oswald disciplinary commission to examine all samples collected from Russian athletes during the London Olympics in 2012.

The decisions were taken, the IOC said, following the publication of Richard McLaren's full report into doping in Russia that revealed an “institutional conspiracy” by Moscow to cheat between 2011-15.

All 63 blood samples collected from the Russian athletes in Sochi have already been re-analysed by the IOC in cooperation with McLaren. All came back negative.

The IOC said the urine samples would be retested because “McLaren's mandate did not include a full re-analysis of all these samples”. Turning to the London Games, the IOC said re-analysis of some of the Russian samples was already under way following intelligence provided by McLaren to the IOC. Eleven Russian athletes have already been sanctioned by the IOC as a result of the IOC's own re-analysis programme, which began prior to the Rio Olympics and is ongoing.

The Lausanne-based IOC added its thanks to McLaren and his team, saying his report showed that there “was a fundamental attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and one sport in general”.

The head of the US anti-doping body (USADA), Travis Tygart, said, “It's another staggering example of how the Olympic movement has been corrupted and clean athletes robbed by Russia's state-supported doping system.” — Agencies

‘Let them retest’ 

Russia says it will accept an International Olympic Committee plan to retest all drug test samples given by Russian athletes at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said, “The IOC has now decided to retest all the samples; let them retest.” Mutko also suggested he does not expect Russia to be barred from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.