Lausanne (AFP)

The Salazar affair and its possible effects on the results of the Olympic Games and the heat that disrupted the World Athletics Championships in Doha and could plague the next Olympics in Tokyo were invited Thursday at an IOC meeting in Lausanne.

The IOC has announced that it will send a letter to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to obtain details "on the issues that remain open" around the Salazar case, said President Thomas Bach, at the outcome of the two days of a meeting of the Executive Board.

The IOC wants to get clarification on the case of the American coach Alberto Salazar, suspended for doping incentive and who had under his orders until 2017 the multiple British Olympic champion Mo Farah.

"We will ask WADA first to find out how many athletes have been investigated," Bach said.

"Does the dossier cover the entire period of the project's existence or only a part of it?" Could certain Olympic Games results have been directly or indirectly affected? ", Bach still wondered.

Salazar, controversial coach until 2017 British Mo Farah, multiple Olympic champion, and athletes involved in the Doha World Championships (Qatar) has been suspended for "organizing and incitement to banned doping conduct", announced Tuesday the Agency anti-doping system (Usada).

Aged 61, he is the mentor of the Oregon Project, a high-level training group based in the northwestern United States and funded by the Nike equipment manufacturer, which has accumulated success for several years. years in the background and middle distance.

British superstar Mo Farah, a four-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion (5,000 and 10,000m), was part of the group between 2011 and 2017, with Americans Galen Rupp (double Olympic medalist) and Matthew Centrowitz (1500 Olympic champion). m in 2016).

Several athletes trained by Salazar are present in Doha where the Worlds are continuing.

Bach also announced on Thursday that the IOC wanted pre-Olympics anti-doping samples to be kept for 10 years, as is the case during the Games.

"We would like this to also apply to pre-Games testing conducted by the International Control Agency (ITA) to enhance the deterrent effect," said Bach, adding that the cost of this storage would be supported by the IOC.

- Questionnaire to the federations -

Another worry raised by the Doha Worlds is the heat, which has severely disrupted several non-stadium events, including the marathon or the 50 km walk, and which could strongly hinder athletes and spectators next summer at the Tokyo Olympics.

In the face of risks, Bach announced that a questionnaire has been sent to international federations, a measure decided "before" the Doha Worlds.

"There is a determination from the Tokyo Organizing Committee to benefit from the experience of the federations," Bach said, also "confident" that the International Athletics Federation (IAAF), questioning for the choice of Doha "will answer the questionnaire and share its Doha experience".

Tokyo-2020, which according to Mr. Bach has already presented "sophisticated" measures to prevent the dangers of heat, tested in early September a system to drop artificial snow on the audience.

"I have never seen a city so well prepared for one year of the Olympics," said Bach.

© 2019 AFP