The anti-doping effort at the Beijing Summer Games will be more extensive than ever, says the International Olympic Committee (IOC). More than 4,500 tests will be administered, amounting to 25 percent more than those conducted in the 2004 Games in Athens and 90 percent more than the number of tests in Sydney in 2000.

"At the International Olympic Committee, we are at the forefront of the effort to eradicate doping," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "Most athletes compete honestly and fairly," said Rogge. "They treasure the Olympic experience. We owe it to these athletes — who train so hard — to ensure the Games are as free of prohibited drugs as possible."

IOC President Jacques Rogge:

"I can say that the overwhelming majority of athletes are clean…there is a small fringe that still cheats….we have to combat that to protect the clean athletes . . . We will be stronger in Beijing to find the cheats that we were in Athens or in Sydney"

IOC President Jacques Rogge on how to ensure a clean Olympic Games in Beijing

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) emphasised today that the anti-doping effort at the Beijing Summer Games will be more extensive than ever. More than 4,500 tests will be administered — 25 percent more than were conducted in the 2004 Games in Athens and 90 percent more than the number of tests in Sydney in 2000.

"At the International Olympic Committee, we are at the forefront of the effort to eradicate doping," said IOC President Jacques Rogge. "Most athletes compete honestly and fairly," said Rogge. "They treasure the Olympic experience. We owe it to these athletes — who train so hard — to ensure the Games are as free of prohibited drugs as possible."

During the period of 27 July through 24 August, the IOC, in cooperation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Beijing Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG), will test the competitors at any time and at any place. In a change of policy, athletes will be tested whether they are at an Olympic venue, the Olympic Village or a far-away training facility. All controls will be coordinated under the IOC, while WADA will conduct pre-competition controls during the Olympic period on Olympic athletes not in Olympic venues and BOCOG will conduct controls at the Olympic venues.

In a briefing with journalists, the Chairman of the IOC Medical Commission, Arne Ljungqvist, said the ability to detect doping is improving. "While it is to our advantage to not release all the details, enhanced testing will be administered in Beijing," said Professor Ljungqvist. "You can expect continued efforts to detect human growth hormone (HGH) and EPO."

The IOC has been engaged in the fight against doping for almost 50 years. The IOC began a list of banned substances following the 1960 Olympics in Rome, established the IOC Medical Commission and in 1999, founded WADA.

New eligibility rules approved by the IOC Executive Board last month (June 08) will mean that from now on, any person sanctioned with a suspension of more than six months by an anti-doping organisation for any violation of any anti-doping regulations may not participate in any capacity at the Olympic Games in the two Olympic Games (including the Games of the Olympiad and the Olympic Winter Games) immediately following the date of expiry of such suspension.