- Title: Independent testing for Pyeongchang athletes - IOC
- Date: 9th July 2017
- Summary: VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2017 19:37
- Keywords: Switzerland Lausanne Olympics IOC
- Location: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
- City: LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Olympics,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0036OZWMDB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea will be the first Games to have an independent drugs testing authority (ITA) in place to deal with doping among competitors, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Sunday (July 9).
IOC also said that refugees are likely to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as they are planning another refugee team after its first appearance at last year's Rio de Janeiro Games.
The IOC has been working towards setting up the ITA as an independent testing body to take over testing for the IOC and international federations.
Until the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, the IOC was responsible for doping tests during the Olympics.
The IOC is desperate to boost the fight against doping with Russian track and field athletes banned from last year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics due to a widespread state-backed doping system that involved many sports in the country.
More than 100 positive cases have also emerged in re-testing samples from the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, while the IOC is also re-testing samples from the Sochi 2014 winter Games in Russia and the 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics.
One of the main point discussed during IOC Executive Committee was the IOC involvement with the United Nations Refugees agency.
The IOC unveiled its first team of refugees last year in an effort to raise awareness of the issue and it was one of the feel-good stories of the 2016 Olympics.
The 10-member team from Syria, Congo, Ethiopia and South Sudan hogged the spotlight after marching as the penultimate team before host nation Brazil in the Opening Ceremony at the Olympic stadium.
The athletes took part in athletics, swimming and judo.
IOC spokesperson, Mark Adams said it was too early to talk about size of the team given the complex selection process, with the refugees for Rio being located at camps scattered across the world.
More than a million refugees streamed into Europe in 2016 alone as they fled fighting in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Millions more are housed in camps in countries across the world, having escaped wars or armed conflicts in their home nations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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