Date:17/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/17/stories/2007101756542200.htm

Sport - Athletics

Final draft of WADA code released

LONDON: Some athletes caught using banned substances soon could face a four-year suspension for a first doping offence.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which released the final draft of its latest World Anti-Doping Code on Monday, proposes increasing the ban from two years to four if there are “aggravating circumstances.” The code still must be approved next month at a meeting in Madrid, Spain.

The new code also includes incentives to alert authorities to doping violations or to admit doping. A ban could be reduced by 75 per cent for any athlete who assists officials in finding other drug cheats.