IOC Athletes' Commission chair Kirsty Coventry outlined the process to reallocate medals here today ©Getty Images

Plans for a structured process to follow when reallocating Olympic medals stripped from athletes for doping have been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board here today.

The plans, proposed by the IOC Athletes' Commission and Sports Department, consist of a number of guiding principles to be followed.

IOC Athletes' Commission chair Kirsty Coventry explainedthese concern a reanalysis of all samples, the return of original medals and a reallocation within 12 months of the legal process being completed.

Six options for the actual ceremony at which medals will be re-allocated were also put forward.

These will be include at the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympics Games or through an athletes respective International Federation or National Olympic Committee.

They will also have the option of receiving their medals at the Olympic Museum or through a private ceremony of their own choosing.

"It’s very exciting that the EB have accepted the medal reallocation document that the IOC Sports Department have been working very hard towards," Coventry said here today following the opening part of the two-day meeting.

"It is exciting moving forward and a great thing for athletes in the future."

Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten were swiftly re-allocated curling bronze medals from Pyeongchang 2018 after their Russian rivals Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova were stripped of them following a positive doping case ©Getty Images
Norway's Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten were swiftly re-allocated curling bronze medals from Pyeongchang 2018 after their Russian rivals Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova were stripped of them following a positive doping case ©Getty Images

The Zimbabwean, a two-time Olympic swimming champion who replaced Angela Ruggiero as Athletes' Commission chair earlier this year, added that they were inspired by seeing Norwegian mixed doubles curlers Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten awarded their re-allocated medals at Pyeongchang 2018.

They were upgraded to the bronze medal after Russian husband and wife duo Aleksandr Krushelnitckii and Anastasia Bryzgalova were disqualified when Krushelnitckii failed a test for meldonium.

"To see the excitement on their faces on receiving their medals was inspiring to push this document," Coventry said.

The full document is due to be published later today.

It is not clear if it will tackle the difficulty in persuading athletes to return medals and of being satisfied that the potential beneficiaries are not themselves implicated in doping cases.

More than100 positive cases were found in re-tests from Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and 75 medals have already been stripped from those found guilty. 

Several medals remain to be re-allocated, however.

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