LONDON -- The doping retests from the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin involve 350 samples, cost $500,000 and are based on intelligence that targets athletes and events considered most at risk for cheating, the IOCs medical director said. Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. "I wouldnt be at all surprised if its far, far, far less than people are speculating, despite this new method. Weve set the expectations at a sensible level. We do not expect necessarily to have any positives." Budgett provided the greatest detail so far of the International Olympic Committees reanalysis of the Turin samples, which includes a test that can detect steroid use going back months. The IOC stores Olympic samples for eight years to allow for retesting when new methods become available. With the deadline for the Turin samples expiring in February, the IOC is doing last-minute retesting to catch any cheats who got away at the time. "Approximately 350 samples are being analyzed," Budgett said in a telephone interview. "Weve selected them based on intelligence. It involves a bit under 200 athletes as many of the athletes have more than one sample." The retesting is "a good half way through" and the results will be finalized by the end of the year, Budgett said. The program involves a "full menu" of tests, including the "long-term metabolite" method that widens the window so steroids can be detected several months -- rather than days -- after they were taken. The urine and blood samples are being reanalyzed at the anti-doping lab in Lausanne, Switzerland. The IOC has budgeted half a million dollars for the tests -- "the whole package of intelligence, doing the reanalysis and follow up of any samples," Budgett said. Any positive findings would lead to retroactive disqualification and loss of medals. The testing is focused on athletes, especially medallists , who would have been most likely to dope. "We spent a lot of time gathering intelligence on the sports at risk, the countries at risk, on the individuals and coaches and the groups of athletes at risk," Budgett said. "The reanalysis is absolutely as targeted as possible." The IOC worked with the UK Anti-Doping agency on the intelligence gathering. "Were more interested in medal winners than other people, but were also looking at patterns of previous positive tests," Budgett said. "Weve had 7-8 years of looking at the patterns of subsequent positive tests so you can see where there might be a risk. "There are well-known events like biathlon and cross-country skiing where there is a long history of abuse of EPO and other substances, and some sports such as curling where theres no history of abuse at all." In 2010, the IOC retested some Turin samples for insulin and blood-booster CERA but all came back negative. Those samples are now destroyed, so the latest tests are on different samples. Only one positive case was recorded during the Turin Games, with Russian biathlete Olga Pyleva stripped of a silver medal after testing positive for a banned stimulant. Last year, the IOC retested samples from the 2004 Athens Olympics and caught five athletes who were retroactively stripped of medals for using steroids, including mens shot put winner Yuriy Bilonog of Ukraine. Previously, retests of samples from the 2008 Beijing Olympics led to five positive cases for CERA -- with Bahrain runner Rashid Ramzi stripped of gold in the 1,500 metres. Budgett said the new steroid test -- as well as any other improved techniques -- will be used to retest more Beijing samples before the eight-year statute expires in 2016. The latest steroid test was developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Cologne, Germany. ------ Cheap Bucks Jerseys . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana. Ray Allen Jersey . Now, the hottest team on the ATP are pointing their sights on qualifying for the eight-team season finals in London next November. Pospisil has now established the year-end World Tour Finals as the benchmark for a breakthrough season, with Pospisil and Sock provisionally standing ninth. http://www.cheapbucksjerseys.com/. Smith, an eighth overall pick, had two goals in only 276 minutes of playing time over 16 appearances last season. The left side midfielder played only 43 minutes in three games this season. Oscar Robertson Jersey . Meanwhile, the Jets extended their winning streak to four and remain perfect under Paul Maurice. Its the Jets second four-game winning streak of the season, the other coming in mid-November. John Henson Jersey . Hall joined Bengals teammates for a voluntary workout on Monday. Hes got his mobility back and is on schedule to be ready for the season. CINCINNATI - Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is happy with his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon and expects to be ready for the start of training camp in July.BARCELONA, Spain -- Four days after affirming its European credentials by toppling Manchester City, Barcelona slumped to a stinging 3-1 loss at Real Sociedad to relinquish the provisional Spanish league lead to Real Madrid on Saturday. Gareth Bale scored a blistering long-range strike to help Madrid brush aside Elche 3-0 at home, and Barcelona was unable to match that with a win. Instead, it was overrun by Sociedads dynamic attack led by forwards Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela. Barcelonas defeat confirmed the change in course in the league title race over the past two months, leaving Madrid in command and waiting to see if Atletico can keep up when it visits Osasuna on Sunday. After starting the season with 13 wins and a draw, Barcelona has dropped points in four of its last seven games. Barcelona coach Gerard Martino shuffled his lineup from Tuesdays Champions League victory at City and tried to reinforce his defence by playing with two holding midfielders in Sergio Busquets and Alex Song. The move backfired when Song scored an own goal in the 32nd minute in the first of several defensive lapses that doomed the defending champions. Lionel Messi equalized in the 36th, only for Griezmann to restore the hosts advantage after an error by defender Marc Bartra in the 54th before setting up David Zurutuza in the 59th. The loss left Barcelona three points behind Madrid, the first time it has trailed its fierce rival this season. Atletico is also three points behind Madrid before it plays on Sunday. The last time Barcelona lost by more than one goal was a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in May 2013. Martino took the blame for the humbling defeat. "Real (Sociedad) deserved to win," he said. "I didnt make the correct reading of the game. The decision not to change was also a mistake." Madrid won its third straight game without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was finishing a three-game suspension. Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi opened the scoring at the Santiago Bernabeu in the 34th. Bale then squashed Elches timid second-half surge with a blast frrom about 25 metres in the 72nd before substitute Isco Alarcon sealed the victory in the 81st.dddddddddddd Bale was having a discreet outing until his superb strike that hit the underside of the bar and bounced in, securing the three points that made Madrid the overnight pacesetters. "I said My goodness, what a goal when I saw the ball pass by," Madrid fullback Dani Carvajal said. Madrid will visit Schalke 04 on Wednesday in the Champions League final 16 enjoying an unbeaten streak of 26 games in all competitions. Madrid then plays at crosstown rival Atletico next weekend in a highly anticipated league meeting. Also, Celta Vigo fought back for a 1-1 draw at home against 10-man Getafe to leave the visitors winless in the last 10 rounds, while Malaga drew 0-0 at Almeria. Martino was dismissed by the referee during halftime, and Barcelonas first-year manager had to witness the rare sight of his team being thoroughly dismantled from the Anoeta Stadium stands as the festive home fans soaked up their big win. The victory moved Sociedad one point out of fourth place and Spains last Champions League spot as the Basque side deployed its best version of its up-tempo attack to take a good measure of vengeance for Barcelona eliminating it from the Copa del Rey the previous week. Sociedad was unlucky not to widen the final margin when a disheartened Barcelona appeared to tire in the final minutes. Vela almost capped his outstanding performance in the 81st but his shot hit the post. Sociedad went ahead when Gorka Elustondo muscled by Song to meet Sergio Canales cross, which Elustondo appeared to graze with his head before it hit Song in the chest and landed in the net. Messi combined with Martin Montoya to level when Sergio Busquets craftily let Montoyas pass run between his legs for Messi to rifle it inside the upright of Claudio Bravos goal. Sociedad, however, got the winner when Bartra headed Bravos goalkick back toward his own area, where Vela was quick to pounce and crossed for Griezmann to volley in his 15th league goal of the season. ' ' '