Track investigating 17 blood passport violations

LONDON (AP) - Track and field's governing body is investigating 17 suspected doping cases uncovered by the biological passport program.

Thomas Capdevielle, the medical and anti-doping results manager of the International Association of Athletics Federations, says the IAAF has identified 36 violations based on the blood-testing program.

Speaking at an anti-doping conference in London on Wednesday, Capdevielle says 19 athletes have already been sanctioned for biological passport violations and "17 cases are currently under proceedings.''

The passport system monitors an athlete's blood profile over time to check for variations that indicate doping. Cycling also uses the system and tennis announced this week it was adopting the program.

Capdevielle says the IAAF is hoping to set up a doping lab in Kenya to make it easier to test the country's long-distance runners.