IOC pledges $10 million for anti-doping enforcement ahead of 2020 Tokyo Olympics
The International Olympic Committee will pour $10 million into anti-doping enforcement amid the emergence of genetic testing as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics draw near.
IOC President Thomas Bach pledged the donation during his speech at a World Anti-Doping Agency conference in Katowice, Poland.
About half of the money will go toward new facilities that will allow authorities to save pre-Games samples for 10 years, making them available for reexamination as new testing methods arise.
Genetic sequencing tests have been in development for more than a decade and are thought to be nearly ready. Samples could be collected and perhaps tested as early as next summer.
The new logo for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris was meant to evoke French national icon Marianne. It has sparked a voluble and often hilarious debate.
“This new approach could be a groundbreaking method to detect blood doping weeks or even months after it took place,” Bach said.
In the midst of a long-running scandal in Russia, where athletes, coaches and government officials stand accused of systemic cheating, officials will also push for greater outside cooperation.
“This is where we need the full support of the government authorities,” Bach said. “They have the necessary authority and tools to take action.”
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