The International Olympic Committee has announced that it is to follow the Tour de France in re-testing samples for CERA EPO.
500 samples will be re-tested for the endurance-enhancing hormone EPO and for Insulin. Both tests were recently developed or perfected. Initial results are expected by March. Athletes in endurance events including cycling will have their samples from the Beijing games re-tested. Nine athletes failed drugs tests at the games in August.
The IOC announcement comes in the wake of a similar move earlier this year by the organisers of the Tour de France which resulted in the retrospective disqualification and subsequent banning of amongst others Bernard Kohl, the Austrian rider who came third.