Athletics world governing body the IAAF announced yesterday it is ready to step up a gear in the fight against potential drug cheats after collecting blood samples from all athletes competing at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The IAAF pledged before the event, which finishes today, that for the first time in the sport’s history it would collect and analyse blood samples from every single accredited athlete. The move is part of a wide-ranging anti-doping programme, and loosely mimics the efforts of cycling authorities whose long anti-doping battle has been boosted by the introduction of the biological passport programme.

The IAAF said yesterday it has been collecting samples “around the clock” at the Athletes’ Village since August 18, 2011 and had finally collected “a total of 1,848 pre-competition blood samples... representing a sample from each participating athlete at the World Championships.”

IAAF president, Lamine Diack said: “The IAAF is proud of its total commitment to the fight against doping in athletics and this initiative will stand us in very good stead as we re-double our efforts going forward.”

The collection of blood samples is “at the core of the IAAF’s development of an Athlete Biological Passport (ABP)”, added the IAAF and is in addition to the usual in-competition testing of over 500 urine samples which are being analysed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited laboratory in Seoul.

The 1,848 blood samples in question will be analysed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne.

In cycling a biological passport programme allows anti-doping experts to register and chart biological markers over time, allowing comparison and further scrutiny if necessary.

When a rider’s sample proves suspicious he/she can be subject to targeted testing. Even in the absence of positive tests, riders have been banned for doping due to suspicious blood markers on the biological passport.