WADA to probe massive drug use in world athletics

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The World Anti-Doping Agency says it is alarmed by “wild allegations’” made by two European media outlets of widespread suspicious drug tests in track and field and is asking an independent body to investigate the claims.

WADA president Craig Reedie says Sunday he was surprised by the scale of the allegations, including that one-third of medals in endurance races at the Olympics and world championships over a 10-year period were won by athletes who recorded suspicious doping tests.

German broadcaster ARD and The Sunday Times newspaper said they obtained access to the results of 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 athletes. They say the leaked files came from the database of the IAAF.

One-third of medals in track-and-field endurance races at the Olympics and world championships over a 10-year period were won by athletes who recorded suspicious doping tests, according to an investigation by British and German media outlets.