International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge called on Friday for tougher action next year against doping and illegal betting in sports.
Rogge also said the focus on political and social issues in China will increase in the leadup to the Beijing Olympics but the games would act as a "powerful catalyst."
Rogge said the many high-profile doping cases this year might lead people to believe that the sports world is losing the battle against drug cheats.
"I disagree," he said in a year-end message posted on the IOC's Web site. "The fact that so many instances of [unfair] play were revealed, and that more athletes admitted responsibility, tells us that we are on the right track."
Last week, the IOC officially stripped Marion Jones of her five medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics following her admission in court in October that she had been doping.
Rogge also cited illegal betting as a threat to the credibility of sports.
"It must be fought in the same aggressive way in which we are fighting against doping," he said. "In 2008, zero tolerance for illegal betting and doping offenses has to reach out an even higher level. Fighting against these threats will help create a more level playing field for sport."
Rogge's statement came with eight months to go until the Beijing Olympics, which have attracted complaints about Chinese policy from human rights organizations, media advocacy bodies and other groups.
The IOC says it is a sports organization, not a political body, and is not in a position to change Chinese policies.
"The dialogue surrounding Beijing will likely increase in volume," Rogge said. "A remarkable amount of effort and dedication has been focused on an array of social and political issues in China."
"The IOC hopes that Beijing 2008 realizes its potential as a spectacular Olympic Games," he said. "We can be certain that the games alone are a powerful catalyst, even if to show that challenges often provide opportunities that can have profound potential."
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