Olympic Games doping cases handed over to CAS by IOC

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will assume responsibility for judging Olympic doping cases in Rio rather than the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the latter said on Tuesday.

The move is aimed at ensuring doping cases are treated by a fully independent body.

"This move was to further protect the clean athletes," said IOC president Thomas Bach's spokesman Mark Adams.

"The executive board of the IOC agreed to delegate hearings and decisions on any anti-doping rules violation to a new anti-doping division of CAS.

"It will start at the next Games. It will replace the IOC disciplinary commission. It's part of the Agenda 2020."

Bach's Agenda 2020 is the strategic roadmap for the Olympic Movement which aims to rein in spending and improve credibility.

Previously, the IOC disciplinary commission treated doping cases at the Games but that will now be done by a team of CAS experts in place at the Olympics.

Athletes wishing to appeal their decisions will be able to do so to another CAS division comprised of different judges.