Anti-doping code backed

Dick Pound, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, said he was delighted after more than 70 countries, including Britain, offered their support for a global anti-doping code.

Government representatives, meeting ahead of the final sessions of the WADA conference here, backed the plan ahead of the final vote by delegates from sporting bodies around the world. Although only 11 countries had signed the code, a further 38 were expected to sign by the end of the day with another 23 ready to back it at a later date. "It's been a long hard struggle," Pound said. "The agreement comes after three days of diplomacy, debate and coercion."

The International Olympic Committee's president, Jacques Rogge, warned countries that failed to sign the code that they would not be considered as Olympic hosts, while sports risked exile from the Games if they failed to comply. Federations have been given until the start of the Athens Olympics next summer to ratify the code, while governments have been given until the 2006 Winter Games in Turin to sign up.

WADA achieved a significant victory in persuading football's world governing body, Fifa, to back a compromise over the mandatory two-year ban for doping offences. Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, decided not to travel to the conference but WADA got round the stumbling block by proposing that the two-year rule would be used as guidance only.