Athletics Federation consider drug ban extension

Athletics’ world governing body will this weekend discuss plans to ban convicted drugs cheats from future World Championships.

The International Association of Athletic Federations council will consider a suggestion to extend their punishment for athletes who are proven to have taken banned substances.

Currently athletes only miss one World Championships following a positive test, but the council meeting in Berlin will consider extending that ban.

IAAF senior vice president Arne Ljungqvist, who is also chairman of the medical commission, told the Press Association heavier punishments will be on the agenda.

Ljungqvist said: “The World Anti-Doping Agency stipulates a two-year ban for a serious doping offence and that’s where we are.”

The Swede, however, believes increasing the current ban from World Championships could be invoked without breaching WADA protocol.

He said: “That is something that can be fully discussed. We have full authorisation, irrespective of the WADA code to have our own competition rules.

“Then it is no longer an anti-doping but a competition rule. It will be possible for a person who has received a two-year doping ban, to be made ineligible for the next one or two World Championships.

“The actual rules says that if an athlete should fail a doping test at a World Championships, theoretically in the month of July, and the next championships be held two years later in September, he will not be eligible.

“We could increase that if we so wished and that I believe will be discussed here.”