Bolt and Blake could face Olympics ban unless anti-doping system improves

Bolt and Blake could face Olympics ban unless anti-doping system improves

Jamaican and Kenyan athletes such as Usain Bolt and David Rudisha could be denied the chance to compete at future Olympic Games unless their country's anti-doping systems improve, the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has warned.
Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, has promised a 'zero tolerance' policy against drug cheats and warned countries which are deemed non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code could be expelled from the Games.
Jamaica and Kenya's anti-doping agencies are at particular risk of falling foul of Wada if they do not address significant problems with their drug-testing systems, which have both been widely criticised over the past 12 months.

Ban warning: Jamaican athletes such as Usain Bolt could miss future Olympic Games unless their country's anti-doping systems improve

Zero tolerance: Head of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach warned that those countries non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency could be expelled from the Games

Bach said: 'The (IOC) charter is very clear that this (expulsion) can be one of the results. It’s not the only one and not the exclusive one. But non-compliance can result in the
exclusion from competitions.
'The Wada code is very clear. Countries which are not compliant can be excluded from events including the Olympic Games.
'What we need is the greatest possible deterrence. We are united in our zero-tolerance attitude to doping.
'The IOC will continue to pursue this fight with great determination and clear measures.' 

At risk: David Rudisha of Kenya would be another at risk of expulsion because of his country's lenient doping practices

Wada visited Jamaica last month to conduct an 'extraordinary' audit of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) following claims only one out-of-competition drugs test was conducted in the five months leading up to London 2012.
The country has not been deemed non-compliant with the Wada code, but the United States Anti-Doping Agency will now work with JADCO in a bid to improve drug-testing measures on the Caribbean island.
Olympic 800 metres champion and world record-holder Rudisha, meanwhile, has urged Kenya to address claims of systematic cheating at the nation's high altitude training centres or risk damaging the country's proud athletics tradition.

Jamaica and Kenya's drug-testing systems have been widely criticised over the past 12 months

The claims, first made by a German television station, have been strongly denied by Kenyan officials, but Wada have admitted to be 'very frustrated' at the slow progress being with regard to improving the nation's anti-doping programme.
Rudisha said: 'It is bad. The faster they tackle the matter the better for our country's image.
'Not all of us are cheats, some may have been (mis)led into abusing drugs.' 

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