The president of European Athletics is calling for tougher penalties for drug cheats and will review records and the list of past award winners from the continent in response to a ''seismic'' doping crisis that is ''rocking the very foundations'' of the sport.
In a statement entitled ''Integrity in Athletics'' published Wednesday, Svein Arne Hansen says ''a cultural revolution will be required for athletics to rebuild its reputation.''
Hansen says WADA's four-year ban for serious doping offenses ''is still not enough'' and that European Athletics will explore the possibility of longer bans and an increase in the number of tests required of banned athletes.
Among other initiatives, Hansen says the body will set up a special project team to look at ''a new approach to records in Europe'' because the public cannot have full confidence in past results.
