LONDON (AP) — Track and field’s governing body says it has stepped up its drug testing in Turkey following abnormal blood profile results detected among the country’s athletes.
IAAF spokesman Nick Davies was asked by The Associated Press about a report on the website of Britain’s Daily Telegraph that a large number of Turkish athletes tested positive before last month’s Mediterranean Games in the Turkish city of Mersin. The Telegraph says there could be dozens of positive cases.
Davies says “following concerns highlighted by abnormal biological passport values, the IAAF with the national anti-doping agency intensified the testing program in Turkey.”
He says the test results “remain on-going” and the IAAF won’t comment further until the proceedings are completed.
Turkey has bit hit by a spate of doping cases at a time when Istanbul is bidding for the 2020 Olympics.
