Swimming Championship to hold 800 doping tests

Egypt's team practice their synchronised swimming team performance ahead of the upcoming World Swimming Championships at the Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona, July 17, 2013. The World Swimming Championships will take place July 20 to Aug 4. [Photo/Agencies]

BARCELONA - There will be over 800 doping tests conducted at the FINA world championships.

The international swimming federation (FINA) will conduct urine and blood tests as well as biological passports.

FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu said Friday that 485 athletes will be given pre-competition tests in Barcelona in the days before competition and another 320 will undergo either blood or urine tests during the event, which starts July 28 and runs to Aug 4.

Marculescu said all the medalists will be tested and that the final number of in-competition tests could rise if world records are set.

The other athletes tested during the competition will be selected by a board made up of three members, two from FINA and one from the local organizing committee.

A total of 2,293 athletes are participating in the biennial competition that includes swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and the new discipline of high diving.