Over 30 athletes face Rio ban after Beijing doping retests

Stepping up its fight against widespread allegations of doping in the sport, the International Olympic Committee has revealed that up to 31 athletes from six different sports have been tested positive in reanalysis of their anti-doping samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

According to the Lausanne-based body's executive board, the results of 250 more retests from the 2012 London Olympics would also come shortly. These athletes are likely to face a ban from featuring at the upcoming Rio Games as a decision on this matter will be taken on 17 June.

Reflecting on the revelations, the IOC president Thomas Bach insisted that all such measures were a powerful strike against the dopers and pointed out that the organisation keep samples for 10 years in order to keep cheaters under radar, the Guardian reported.

The development comes after Russia and Kenya were found to have breached anti-doping rules in recent months.

Russian athletes were suspended for an indefinite period last year after the World Anti Doping Agency alleged state-sponsored doping in the sporting superpower, which involves destroying samples and intimidating laboratory staff.