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IN PHOTO: File photo of Australia's rugby captain George Gregan waving to the crowd after a Tri-Nations match against South Africa in Perth. Australia's rugby captain George Gregan waves to the crowd after the Tri-Nations match against South Africa at Subiaco Oval in Perth, Western Australia in this July 31, 2004 file photo. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is to consider putting caffeine tablets back on the list of banned substances after several athletes, including national rugby captain Gregan admitted taking them. Photo taken on July 31, 2004. REUTERS/Stringer/Files

Athletic Australia chief Phil Jones has expressed concern over the recent revelations on mass doping by athletes, and says that he welcomes the World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to probe into the matter.

Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper and German television channel ARD published leaked data that they claim had been retrieved from the International Association of Athletics Federation, or IAAF. The reports allegedly revealed the details of 12,000 blood tests from 5,000 competitors that indicated “extraordinary levels of doping,” which, according to WADA, has the potential to “’shake the foundation” of the athletes trying to remain spotless and out of controversy.

"The contents of the articles is alarming," said Jones in a statement. "Athletics Australia is currently working to ascertain further information about the alleged leaked IAAF test reports that have been obtained to form the basis of the articles. The accusations made must be properly investigated. We welcome the World Anti-Doping Agency's decision to probe the allegations made."

As AFP reported, Athletics Australia, being a signatory to the WADA code, strongly condemns doping in sports, and that it demands and endorses the highest levels of testing protocols to ensure that the athletes who break the rules are caught and sanctioned.

Craig Reedie, the president of WADA, said on Sunday that the new allegations on mass doping would be forwarded to an independent commission that has been investigating the doping allegations against Russian athletes, brought by the ARD in December 2013. The data was leaked by a “whistleblower” to the ARD.

The WADA has said in a statement that it is very disturbed by the report. It points fingers at the endurance runners who have been winning a third of the Olympic Medals and world championships as being suspected of doping. Even though there is no clear evidence backing the Sunday Times and ARD reports, the revelations have nonetheless brought disgrace to the reputation of the multi-million dollar world of sports.

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