The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced that it has disqualified American cyclist Tyler Hamilton from the events he competed in at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Hamilton, 41, who finished first in the Men’s Individual Time Trial and 18th in the Men’s Road Race at Athens 2004, was disqualified from those events after he admitted to having used performance-enhancing drugs in advance of the Games in a letter sent to the IOC on 28 June 2012.
The IOC Executive Board concluded:
I. The athlete, Mr Tyler Hamilton, is disqualified from the following events in which he competed at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the sport of cycling:
- Men’s Individual Time Trial, in which he placed 1st; and
- Men’s Road Race, in which he placed 18th;
II. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is requested to return to the IOC the medal and diploma awarded to Mr Hamilton in the Men’s Individual Time Trial event;
III. The International Cycling Union (UCI) is requested to take the appropriate steps so that its records reflect the above; and
IV. The IOC administration is instructed to reallocate the medals and diplomas to the athletes who finished behind Mr Hamilton in the Men’s Individual Time Trial, in which Mr Hamilton placed 1st at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Read the full decision here.
Under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the 2012 London Olympic Games, testing takes place under the IOC's auspices from 16 July (date of the opening of the Olympic Village) to 12 August 2012. Within that period, the IOC systematically performs tests before and after events. After each event, the IOC systematically carries out tests on the top five finishers plus two at random. The IOC also performs out-of-competition unannounced tests. Over the course of the London Games, the IOC is expected to carry out some 5,000 tests - 3,800 urine and 1,200 blood. For more information, please consult the IOC factsheet on anti-doping.
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