Six Athletes Fail Beijing Drug Retests

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that six athletes have failed a drugs test following retesting of samples taken during the Beijing Olympics last summer.

The IOC stated the retesting led to a total of seven positive tests involving six athletes with Olympic cycling road race silver medallist Davide Rebellin from Italy the only one of those athletes to come to light as yet.

The tests came back positive for Cera, an advanced version of endurance-enhancing hormone EPO.

The Italian Olympic Committee has confirmed that Rebellin is one of those involved although British Olympic chiefs believe no members of Team GB are among the six athletes caught out by the IOC.

The British Olympic Association has not been contacted by the IOC, which says the athletes in question have been notified through their national Olympic committees.

The IOC tested 948 samples from Beijing after new tests for Cera and insulin became available after the Olympics.

Pending any disciplinary action by the IOC, national and international bodies are free to impose provisional suspensions of athletes, the IOC said.

Any athletes found guilty of doping face being disqualified from the Olympics and stripped of any medals.