[Yonhap News Photo]
following a doping scandal by swimming star Park Tae-hwan.
The report showed Russia was the top drugs offender with 148 of the world's total of 1,693 violations recorded in 2014. Russia is feared to miss the athletics competition of this year's Summer Olympics because of a massive doping scandal.
Russia was followed by Italy (123), India (96), Belgium (91), France (91), Turkey (73), Australia (49), China (49), Brazil (46) and South Korea (43) as the top 10 offending countries, according to the WADA report.
There were 43 doping violations in South Korea, including 36 in body building. The most prominent case was Park Tae-hwan, the only South Koran Olympic gold medalist in swimming, who was slapped with an 18-month ban by FINA after testing positive for testosterone.
Globally, a total of 1,462 doping violations came through adverse analytical findings in conventional drug tests while 231 were uncovered through evidence-based intelligence such as evading or refusing to submit a sample. Athletics and bodybuilding were the worst offenders with more than 400 violations.
WADA director general David Howman said the evidence-based violations highlighted "the increasing importance of non-analytical approaches to anti-doping".
"This proves the increasing importance of non-analytical approaches to anti-doping, something which is now well emphasized under the revised World Anti-Doping Code," he said in the report.
"The report also reminds us of the importance of values-based education to prevention and risk minimization," Howman said.
Russia has struggled to ensure its athletics team will compete in the Rio Olympics. The International Association of Athletics Federations will rule in June on Russia's participation.
Russian athletes were banned from competing internationally last year after an independent commission discovered evidence of state-sponsored doping. Russia's anti-doping laboratory was accused of "aiding and abetting" drug cheats.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
