4 September 2001 - Edmonton, Canada - The IAAF has lifted the suspension of the Russian athlete Olga Yegorova, after receiving further information this morning regarding the validation of the testing system which led to the athlete's positive finding for EPO at the Paris Golden League meeting on 6 July.

Testing for EPO was first conducted at a major Championships last year at the Olympics where athletes were asked to provide samples of both blood and urine. The Sydney protocol involved a screening of the blood sample to provide an indication of whether EPO was present in the athlete's body, and this was then confirmed by a follow up urine analysis.

At this time, it remains the only means of testing for EPO that has been scientifically validated. Since Sydney, further extensive scientific research has been undertaken to finalise a single urine only test. The research is believed to be complete, but the IAAF has been informed that the test still awaits final validation. The IAAF believes that, in the circumstances, the test conducted by the French authorities on Ms Yegorova in Paris should not have been carried out.

Ms Yegorova is currently in Edmonton and has been tested as part of the IAAF's own EPO testing programme. This programme uses the Sydney protocol of taking both blood and urine samples and the result of this test will be accepted by the IAAF.