Six Olympic athletes caught on doping

Russian sporting officials say its athletes are not among those caught using banned substances at the Beijing games, AP news agency reports.

The International Olympic Committee retested samples from last summer and found half-a-dozen athletes were using the blood booster CERA. In all 948 samples were checked again. According to the rules, the doping probes can be kept and tested for eight years after they were taken.

Continuous erythropoietin receptor activator (CERA) is the generic term for drugs in a new class of third-generation erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs).

Committee head Leonid Tyagachov assured that team Russia is off the latest drug-cheat list.

Olympic champ tested positive

Men's 1500m Olympic champion Rashid Ramzi is among those tested positive, the Bahraini National

Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi (AFP Photo)
Olympic Committee announced on Wednesday, AFP news agency reports.

The Morocco-born athlete won the first ever Olympic medal for the Gulf country, crossing the finish line at Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium after 3 minutes and 32.94 seconds.

Ramzi will arrive to witness the opening of the B test, likely to be on May 8, in France.

The other athlete, who didn't pass the test, is said to be cycling silver medalist Davide Rebellin from Italy. The sportsman denied the accusations.

“I don't know what may have happened. It is certainly a mistake,” Rebellin told La Stampa newspaper. “It is impossible that I tested positive.”