PARIS: Approximately one-third of Olympic athletes were subjected to drug tests during the Paris Games this year, resulting in only five positive results, according to the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Thursday.
This marks one fewer positive case than at the Tokyo Games in 2021, despite a 4% increase in the number of athletes tested compared to the previous Games, and a 10% increase over Rio in 2016.
The ITA, responsible for testing during the Games, reported that 4,770 athletes—39 percent of the total—had their urine, blood, and dried blood samples analyzed between July 26 and August 11. This represents the highest proportion of athletes ever tested, following extensive screening in 2024 that ensured 90 percent of competitors were tested at least once before the Games.
The agency noted that the highest number of tests were conducted on athletes from the largest delegations, including the United States, France, China, and Australia. “Sports such as athletics, aquatics, cycling, rowing, and wrestling saw the highest number of doping controls,” the statement added.
The five athletes who tested positive include Iraqi judoka Sajjad Ghanim Sehen Sehen, Afghan judoka Mohammad Samim Faizad, Nigerian boxer Cynthia Temitayo Ogunsemilore, Congolese sprinter Dominique Lasconi Mulamba, and Bolivian swimmer Maria Jose Ribera Pinto. The ITA indicated that these may not be the last cases, as the final phase of its anti-doping program includes the long-term storage and potential re-analysis of samples collected before and during the Games.
