Bach: 'IOC will react with zero tolerance'

The IOC will take action against any Olympic athletes if they are found guilty of the latest doping allegations rocking the sport of track and field, IOC President Thomas Bach said Monday. Coming only weeks before track and field's showpiece event, the allegations are the latest setback to tarnish the multi-billion dollar world of sport after the scandal at soccer's global governing body, FIFA.

Bach said it is up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)to investigate the allegations, including that one-third of medals in endurance races at the Olympics and world championships from 2001 to 2012 were won by athletes who recorded suspicious blood tests.

"If there should be cases involving results at Olympic Games, the IOC will react with zero tolerance with our usual policy," Bach said at a news conference at the close of IOC meetings in Kuala Lumpur.

German broadcaster ARD and British newspaper "The Sunday Times" said they obtained access to the results of 12,000 blood tests involving 5,000 athletes that revealed 146 medals - including 55 gold medals - in disciplines ranging from the 800 meters to the marathon at the Olympics and world championships were won by athletes who have recorded suspicious tests. "The Sunday Times" said that 10 medals at the 2012 London Olympics were won by athletes with suspicious results, and that in some finals every athlete in the medal positions had recorded a dubious blood test.

Nothing concrete, yet

"We made it very clear and we agreed that WADA is our competent center in the fight against doping and they will inquire into these allegations," said Bach, who discussed the doping allegations on Monday with WADA chief Craig Reedie. "But at this time, we have nothing more than allegations. We have to respect the presumption of innocence of the athletes. If needed, we will follow suit ... and do everything to protect clean athletes."

The International Olympic Committee has previously stripped medals from athletes who have been retroactively found guilty of doping offenses dating back to the time of the games. The IOC also stores Olympic doping samples for 10 years for possible retesting.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and WADA were already investigating accusations made in two previous ARD documentaries of alleged systematic doping and cover-ups in Russia.

The IAAF President Lamine Diack told IOC delegates that his federation was studying the allegations and was preparing a response.

"There are allegations made, no evidence. We want to look into them seriously because to say that in athletics between 2001 and 2012 we did not do a serious job with tests is laughable," said Diack, who added he felt some people were pressuring the IAAF to redistribute medals.

jh/sms (Reuters, AP)