Work in Progress: IOC on catching doping cheats at Olympics

The IOC said it is "as confident as it can be" in anti-doping measures after Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare was provisionally suspended for doping Saturday, hours before the former world championships silver medalist was due to run in the semifinals of the women's 100 meters at the Olympics.

"I think the ITA (International Testing Agency) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) are doing a good job, and I think also what's important is it's now independent, that it is independent of us", IOC spokesman Mark Adam told journalists in Tokyo.

"Will we catch absolutely everyone? I think no one could ever say that", Adams added.

Okagbare tested positive for human growth hormone in an out-of-competition test on July 19, four days before the Olympics opened, the Athletics Integrity Unit said, prompting a mandatory provisional suspension.

The results of that test were only received by track and field's anti-doping body late Friday and after Okagbare had already run in the 100 heats on the opening day of track competition at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, the AIU (Athletic Integrity Unit) said.

She won her heat in 11.05 seconds and was due to run in the semifinals on Saturday. The highly-anticipated women's 100 final is the last event on the day's track schedule.

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The AIU informed Okagbare of her suspension on Saturday morning, it said, ruling her out of the 100 and likely ending her Olympics. Under doping regulations, she is allowed to request that a "B" sample — or backup sample — is tested to double-check the results.

The IOC continued to stress that there is no significant contribution of the Games to the surge of Covid-19 infection numbers in Tokyo and other parts of Japan.

"We are doing an awful lot on top of what is required," Adams said.

"Obviously, we want to make sure that we give the people of Japan, the people of Tokyo as much confidence as possible."

"Not only in Tokyo but throughout Japan, (coronavirus) infection cases are increasing quite a lot, but thankfully we do not see that as the case in the Athlete's Village," the Olympic village mayor of the Tokyo2020 Organising Committee, Saburo Kawabuchi, added.

"We sincerely hope that the Olympics operations will manage to operate well."