BEIJING : The International Olympic Committee announced tougher doping rules for the Beijing Games on Thursday, introducing more random testing and broader sanctions for possession.

During the Games in August, athletes could be subject to testing without warning at any time, said IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies, adding that the move was part of a drive to crack down on drug cheats.

She also said athletes caught in possession of any item on the banned list of drugs would be liable for punishment.

At previous Games, athletes faced punishment if caught in possession of only some of the substances on the banned list, she said.

The measures will come into force from July 27, when the Athletes Village opens here, until end of the Games, she said. The event runs from August 8 to 24.

Davies also said that if an athlete failed to show up for a doping test on two occasions during the Games, it would be considered a doping violation.

"It is a hardening of the regulations" and "underlines the IOC's zero tolerance towards doping," she said after a meeting of the IOC board ahead of the Games. - AFP/de