New International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, Thomas Bach, says Jamaica and Kenya risks being banned from future Olympic Games should they fail to comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.
The anti-doping programmes of both nations have been placed under the Wada’s microscope following claims of improper conducts in Jadco’s (Jamaica) conduction of out-of-competition test and the Kenyan authorities’ lack of progress in a doping investigation promised over a year ago.
“The Wada code is very clear,” Bach told BBC Sport. “Countries which are not compliant can be excluded from events including the Olympic Games.”
Sprinter Asafa Powell is one of several Jamaicans to test positive recently.
Meanwhile Kenya’s government and Olympic federation are yet to confirm that a task force to investigate allegations of a doping culture in their set-up, promised 12 months ago, has been established.
Wada travelled to Jamaica in October to audit the country’s testing procedures and said it was “very frustrated” by the apparent lack of progress in Kenya.
Bach said the IOC would not shy away from acting if Wada found either nation were “non-compliant”.
He added: “We can only sanction if we have a non-compliance declaration by Wada.”
The Olympic Charter states that all National Olympic Committees must “adopt and implement” the World Anti-Doping Code with competitors, coaches, trainers and all officials obliged to “respect and comply in all aspects”.
A ban would prevent innocent athletes such as Kenyan 800m Olympic champion David Rudisha and Jamaican sprinting great Usain Bolt competing.
Along with Powell, twice 200m Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and London 2012 4x100m relay silver medallist Sherone Simpson were left out of Jamaica’s team for the World Championships in August after failed drugs tests.
