IOC: Suspicious equipment in Sochi claims unfounded

Russian claims that certain delegations at the Sochi WinterOlympics were in possession of potential doping material were apparentlyunfounded, the IOC said on Wednesday.IOC inspectors followed up allegations from the security services that "largequantities of intravenous equipment" had been detected in the baggage of seven delegations.Russian security services also allegedly found syringes and needles in five athletes'apartments, a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report published on Tuesdayshowed.But IOC spokesman Emmanuelle Moreau told AFP on Wednesday: "All the identifiedNOC medical areas were visited by members of the IOC Medical Commission GamesGroup to investigate the findings."In all seven cases the equipment was identified as being permitted for use by theNOC medical teams."In their report, doping watchdog WADA alluded to a document by the Russian SportsMinistry claiming that baggage scans at Sochi airport had show seven delegationsto be carrying the intravenous equipment.The WADA observer mission to the Games said Russian customs scanned 16,000 bags in the build-up to the Olympics and during the Games."Seven named nations were identified as importing 'large amounts of intravenoussystems' as well as other medical equipment," said their report."On five occasions the Federal Security Services 'detected the use of needles andsyringes in the living quarters'" of unnamed delegations, it added.However, Craig Reedie, the British chairman of WADA and an IOC vice-president,insisted: "The anti-doping programme that the IOC put in place for Sochi was everybit as robust and professional as we could have hoped for." At least eight athletes faced disciplinary hearings for banned drugs during theWinter Games in February. Four athletes were excluded from the event before itended. Source: AFP