Athletes from four countries will be facing tougher drug testing, according to Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) declared on Monday that athletes from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Portugal will undergo intensified out-of-competition (OOC) drug testing to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games starting July 26 in Paris, France.
This initiative was proposed by the AIU board to the World Athletics Council, which subsequently ratified the proposals, “for all four federations to have testing eligibility conditions imposed on their athletes in order to participate in Paris 2024.”
Accordingly, athletes from these nations must complete at least three unannounced OOC tests, spaced a minimum of three weeks apart, by July 4.
“We are pleased with the council’s decision to support the AIU recommendations,” David Howman, chairman of the AIU, said according to CGTN. “This action is tough but necessary as we did not receive an adequate response from these federations to clear warnings we gave in the lead-up to the World Athletics Championships last year.”
“In this Olympic year, we trust this will be a reminder to all member federations that the AIU and World Athletics are extremely serious about ensuring a level playing field for athletes,” he added.
At the previous Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021, Brazil garnered 21 medals – comprising seven golds, six silvers, and eight bronzes.
Ecuador achieved two golds and one silver, while Portugal secured one gold, one silver, and two bronzes. Peru, on the other hand, did not win any medals.
