• Athletics

Bolt could miss out on Olympics as IOC calls for bans

The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued a stark warning to nations such as Jamaica and Kenya, issuing athletes may be denied a chance to compete in the Olympic Games should countries not improve their anti-doping measures.

Athletes such as Usain Bolt and David Rudisha could face exclusion from future Olympic Games, with Thomas Bach promising nations which are not compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will be "excluded" from competition.

Bach is keen for a "zero-tolerance" policy against athletes found guilty of doping and, in light of the recent scandal which has rocked Jamaica, has called for harsher implementations in a bid to improve compliance.

"The [IOC] charter is very clear that this [expulsion] can be one of the results. It's not the only one and not the exclusive one. But non-compliance can result in the exclusion from competitions," Bach told the Daily Mail.

"The Wada code is very clear. Countries which are not compliant can be excluded from events including the Olympic Games.

"What we need is the greatest possible deterrence. We are united in our zero-tolerance attitude to doping. The IOC will continue to pursue this fight with great determination and clear measures."

Bach travelled to Jamaica in October to conduct an audit on the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, while he is understood to be frustrated over the lack of progress to improve procedures in Kenya - something which Olympic 800 metres champion Rudisha has also expressed concern over.

"It is bad. The faster they tackle the matter the better for our country's image," Rudisha said. "Not all of us are cheats, some may have been [mis]led into abusing drugs."

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