Athletics: IAAF quashes British hopes

Britain's hopes of persuading the International Amateur Athletic Federation to strip world records or titles from former East German athletes who used drugs were dashed by the sport's governing body yesterday.

The IAAF said it was impossible under its six-year rule to scrap performances from the 1970s and 80s, even if athletes admitted to taking performance- enhancing drugs.

If East German coaches are found guilty in a forthcoming civil trial of harming athletes by giving them banned steroids, there is certain to be pressure on the International Olympic Committee to take medals away. However, the IOC is also unlikely to scrap results from the Olympics of that period, since it is believed that doping was also common in the West and other performances could be questioned.