Olympics: Athletes face jail for doping in Italy

MILAN - Italy will not drop jail sentences for doping offences at next year's Winter Olympics but has compromised with organisers on testing and the list of drugs which will be banned.

"Whoever commits a crime in Italy, whether Italian or a foreigner, must answer for it. So no moratorium, no change," Sports Minister Mario Pescante said.

Pescante said the list of banned substances would be the same as the IOC's and the organising body would be responsible for testing.

Last week, Pescante said although Italy's tough anti-doping laws called for penal sanctions athletes testing positive were unlikely to face jail terms.

Under Italian law, doping is a crime that can be punished with imprisonment but the Olympic Village has always been a sanctuary outside domestic law.

The IOC can expel athletes from the Olympic Village and strip them of medals and they are then banned by their sport's governing body.

It has been concerned that athletes testing positive for banned substances would be arrested during the Games, which run from Feb. 10-26.

Last week, Pescante said Italian law would be blunted if the Italian government ratified the International Convention against Doping in Sport and added that if Italy did not sign up, Italy's slow legal process would mean there was no immediate problem.

- REUTERS