The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that additional analyses of samples collected from the 2012 Olympic Games in London are currently underway. Per the IOC, if an adverse analytical finding (AAF) is confirmed for any of the reanalyzed samples from London, the athlete will be informed according and disciplinary actions will proceed from that point.
Just as with the re-testing of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the international governing body continues to re-test samples from past Olympics in an ongoing effort to protect clean athletes by preventing dopers from competing. It underwent the same type of process with London samples in May of 2016 prior to the Rio Olympic Games. At that time, more than 500 re-analyses resulted in 48 anti-doping rule violations, with most of those detected through the new ‘long-term metabolite (LTM) test.’
However, there is a statute of limitations assigned to each wave of samples, with the London Games’ expiring by 2020.
Per its release, “the fight against doping is a top priority for the IOC, which has established a zero-tolerance policy to combat cheating and to make anyone responsible for using or providing doping products accountable.”