The German government will unveil a draft bill today that will see athletes, coaches and managers facing jail time and stiff fines for doping offences.

If the bill is passed in parliament it could come into effect in the spring, athletes who use banned substances could be jailed for three years, with dealers and doctors who assist in doping facing 10 year sentences.

And it will not only affect German athletes, but also those caught doping in the country, as the authorities attempt to crack down on drug users in elite sport.

“We are happy that a specific proposal is now on the table,” Alfons Hoermann, head of Germany’s Olympic Sports confederation said. “What the government does is going into the right direction. We welcome this.”

Jan Ullrich and Stefan Schumacher are two German cyclists in recent years to have been caught, or admitted doping during their career. Now officials in the country hope the threat of imprisonment would be a deterrent for future offenders.

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