Twenty-three London 2012 Olympic athletes fail drug tests after having samples retested, confirms the IOC

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that the athletes come from six different nationalities over five sports

Fireworks explode from the stadium roof during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games (Getty)

Twenty-three athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games from five different sports and of six different nationalities returned adverse analytical findings on doping tests after samples were reanalysed, the International Olympic Committee has said.

The IOC tested 265 samples from a selection of athletes who could potentially compete at Rio 2016, as they did with a sample from the 2008 Beijing Olympics that has not returned 32 positive retests. They also added that the reanalysis programme, which began in August 2015 in a bid to crack down on past doping cheats who evaded anti-doping authorities, is ongoing with more positive results a possibility in the coming weeks.

The positive tests could result in bans being handed out for the Rio Olympics, which begin in August, and after an initial 31 tests failed new anti-doping measures from the Beijing Olympics, the IOC have revealed that an additional failure has been recorded.

The IOC and the respective international federation – which has not been named – will now follow up on the abnormal result.

"These reanalyses show, once again, our determination in the fight against doping," said IOC president Thomas Bach in a statement on Friday.

"We want to keep the dopers away from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This is why we are acting swiftly now.

"I have already appointed a disciplinary commission, which has the full power to take all the decisions on behalf of the IOC."

While the athletes have not been publicly named, they – along with the National Olympic Committees and international federations have all been informed, with proceedings able to begin thereafter.

It has already been stated that any athlete found to have failed anti-doping regulations will be banned from competing at Rio 2016.