Athletes who are found guilty of serious drug offences could be banned from the next Olympic Games under a new WADA code provision.
The revised draft of the code means drug cheats could be suspended for one Olympic cycle even if their original ban has been served before the Games commences.
The rule change comes after the British Olympic Association lost their bid to keep a lifetime Games ban for those found guilty of drug offences.
The revision of the WADA code will be discussed by sports governing bodies for consultation ahead of its likely approval in the autumn of next year.
The new provision, in article 10.15, clarifies the agency's position on banning competitors for Olympic Games.
It says: "Where an athlete or other person has been sanctioned for an anti-doping rule violation other than under Articles 10.3.3 (Filing Failures and Missed Tests), 10.3.4 (Prohibited Association), 10.4 (Specified Substances), or 10.5.2 (No Significant Fault or Negligence), and Article 10.5.3 (Substantial Assistance) is not applicable, then, as an additional sanction, the athlete or other person shall be ineligible to participate in the next Summer Olympic Games and the next Winter Olympic Games taking place after the end of the period of ineligibility otherwise imposed."
BOA chairman Lord Moynihan had previously called for a firmer stance from WADA, citing the existing two-year ban as insufficient to deter drug cheats in Olympic sports.
