Rogge continues crusade against cheats

IOC president Jacques Rogge has told the athletes of the world to reassemble in Beijing in four years’ time having promoted the message of clean sport.

In his closing speech to the Athens Olympics, Rogge refused to bend from his implacable desire to drive away the drug cheats.

Twenty-four competitors were ejected from the Games, over twice as many as Sydney, with the prospect of more to come over the next couple of days as the results of the final tests emerge.

And Rogge has already vowed to increase the number of tests in China from the 3,000 that were carried out in Greece.

“These were the Games where it became increasingly difficult to cheat and where clean athletes were better protected,” he said.

“These were the Games where the athletes have touched our hearts by their performances, their joy and their tears. These Games were the unforgettable, dream Games.

“Athletes, remember you are role models. You must promote respect for others and promote clean sport. Give back to sport what sport has given to you.”

Hours before the closing ceremony started, Rogge banished two more medallists, including gold medal hammer thrower Adrian Annus, who refused to take a test in Hungary on Friday having aroused suspicion in the aftermath of his victory in the Olympic Stadium last weekend.

Annus was the third track and field winner to be stripped of his medal following team-mate discus thrower Robert Fazekas and Russian shot-putter Irina Korzhanenko.

However, rather than be downhearted at the statistics, Rogge believes they should be viewed as a signal that the authorities are getting on top of the problem.

And even though he accepts there will always be some who try to cheat the system, he will ensure there is no slackening in the battle to catch as many as possible.

“My dream is that we can continue the fight against doping, test as much as we possibly can across all sports and never have one positive test,” he said.

“I know this is a naïve view and it will never be fulfilled because we have 10,500 athletes here, not 10,500 saints. We will always have cheats in the Olympic Village because it is part of the human condition.

“But we will continue our efforts. We have vastly increased the number of tests here and I intend to increase them still further by the time we get to Beijing.”