The governing bodies of 25 of the 28 summer Olympic sports have agreed to unannounced out-of-competition dope tests. The only sports not to sign up for the plan, announced in Laussane yesterday by the newly-formed World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), are gymnastics and modern pentathlon - who have both refused to submit their athletes to the tests - and volleyball, who are still in talks but look increasingly unlikely to comply before the Games.
WADA chairman Dick Pound, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president who conducted an inquiry into corruption that rocked the Olympic movement last year, said he was pleased with the new body's progress.
But he had a swipe at the three governing bodies yet to agree the deal.
"It is unfortunate that athletes competing in the other three sports may be regarded with suspicion as a result of the refusal of their international federations to participate in the programme. This is an unfair burden for them to carry."
Pound, a Canadian lawyer, added: "I hope that the athletes themselves will urge their federations to change their policies, so that they, too can participate in the Sydney Games without an unnecessary stigma of suspicion attaching to them."
The body hopes to perform 2,500 surprise tests by December 31st and has so far carried out 680. Another 1,250 should be performed in the near future which would mean WADA had completed 90 per cent of its target for Sydney and 77 per cent for the year.
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