CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Drawing hard lessons from the Lance Armstrong scandal, global anti-doping authorities are set to move into a new era with tougher sanctions, smarter testing and a new leader. The World Anti-Doping Agency is also pushing to catch drug cheats by pursuing investigations and gathering intelligence -- rather than relying on the blood and urine samples which proved so unsuccessful with Armstrong, a serial doper who never failed a test. A series of proposed changes to the World Anti-Doping Code will be voted on at the World Conference on Doping in Sport, to be held next Tuesday through Friday in Johannesburg. The revised code will take effect on Jan. 1, 2015 -- in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. "Weve got a budget of not even the salary that Wayne Rooney earns at Manchester United," WADA director general David Howman told The Associated Press. "I think what you have to do is say, Right, how do you make the bucks you have go as far as they possibly can to get rid of those rotten apples?" In the most obvious deterrent, WADA is proposing to double the standard ban for serious doping offences from two years to four years meaning cheaters would miss at least one Olympics. The move appears to have widespread approval. While current rules allow for four-year bans in aggravated cases, the longer sanctions are rarely enforced and most federations keep to the standard two-year penalty. A previous IOC rule that banned dopers from the next Olympics was ruled invalid by the Court of Arbitration for Sport so WADA consulted a judge at the Court of Human Rights to make sure the latest four-year proposal would stand up to legal challenges. "I cant see it not being accepted to be honest," U.K. Anti-Doping chief executive Andy Parkinson said. WADA is also re-examining testing procedures, placing more importance on police-style investigations and extending the reach of anti-doping agencies to give harsher punishments to the coaches and trainers, the so-called "athlete entourage" that assists in doping -- all factors in Armstrongs case. Armstrong was "surrounded by a lot of rotten apples," Howman said. WADA also proposes lengthening the statute of limitations in doping cases from eight to 10 years. That would allow the storage and re-testing of samples for up to a decade. With these changes being considered, WADA will elect a new president. Craig Reedie, an International Olympic Committee vice-president from Britain, is the only candidate. He is set to succeed former Australian government minister John Fahey as WADA president, taking over on Jan. 1, 2014. New IOC President Thomas Bach also will attend the conference, underlining his commitment to a "zero-tolerance" approach on doping. And away from the code, WADA and national anti-doping agencies may look to repair broken relationships with some sports. Reedie, close to the federations, may be the right person to lead the move toward detente after previous clashes between the agency and federations, including over allegations that cycling body UCI protected Armstrong or was complicit in his doping. Newly elected UCI President Brian Cookson will be in Johannesburg. Delegations from Jamaica and Kenya also are expected, giving WADA an opportunity to make progress behind the scenes on anti-doping shortcomings in those countries. WADA has already inspected the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission over a breakdown in the testing of its world-beating sprinters in the run-up to the London Olympics last year. WADAs executive committee will likely examine the Jamaica report when it meets on the first day of the conference. Kenya is being scrutinized for a sudden spike in doping offences and the lack of progress in an investigation promised by sports and government authorities a year ago. WADA will meet with Kenyan officials in Johannesburg. Howman praised the United States Anti-Doping Agency for a "superb job" to help bring down Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life. After years of denials, the cyclist admitted to doping after a USADA investigation exposed evidence of his systematic cheating. Howman said some of USADAs work "merits looking at (for) changes that are required in other anti-doping organizations." Despite USADAs eventual success, Armstrongs career still stands as a stark reminder for authorities who couldnt catch him for years. A report commissioned by WADA and delivered this year said drug-testing had been "generally unsuccessful" in catching dopers. The findings from a team led by former WADA head Dick Pound called for the doping body to "readjust its focus." Taking away findings for substances like marijuana and asthma medications, less than 1 per cent of the 250,000 drug tests now administered at huge cost every year were producing positives, the report found, showing no improvement since 1985. Howman said WADA had "totally" taken on board recommendations with regard to testing shortcomings. In one proposed change, the code wants to ensure that testing is smarter and federations tailor it to substances more common to their specific sport. "We have a task to tell the sports what substances they must be testing for," Howman said. Jachai Polite Youth Jersey . Some will say that Martin is too sensitive while others will say that it is part of the way football is in the locker room. But to have to absorb what was said to him for any rational and intelligent person is too much. Joe Klecko Jersey . CHAUNCEY BILLUPS (Pistons): Yes they got Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings in the off-season and Andre Drummond is a beast (teams are kicking themselves for passing on him - he rebounds and block shots every game - thats two more discernable and significant skills than most guys in his draft class), but dont for a second discount the impact of having a savvy veteran like Billups on your team. http://www.authenticnyjetspro.com/Jachai-polite-jets-jersey/. Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. Joe Namath Youth Jersey . Pistorius mindset when he stood on his stumps in a bathroom and pulled the trigger on his 9 mm pistol in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 remains the crux of the South African trial that has captured worldwide attention and is about to start its seventh week of globally televised proceedings. It was initially scheduled to run for three weeks. Mark Gastineau Youth Jersey . - Playing a road game against a division rival raises the intensity for linebacker Clay Matthews.RENTON, Wash. -- Earl Thomas is the latest member of the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks to be locked up for the future. The best free safety in the NFL is getting rewarded quite well. Thomas and the Seahawks reached agreement Monday on a $40 million, four-year contract extension with just over $27.7 million guaranteed, according to two people with knowledge of the agreement. They spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because there had been no announcement from the team. The agreement was first reported by NFL.com. Thomas, a two-time first-team All-Pro, could have gone into the 2014 season with free agency on the horizon. Instead, Seattle made sure to keep the most important cog of its defence through the 2018 season. Its the latest move in a strong off-season for the defending champions. While there were losses in free agency and difficult roster decisions with expensive veterans released, Seattle re-signed defensive end Michael Bennett before free agency began, then locked up coach Pete Carroll with an extension through 2016. The debate was whether Seattle could get a long-term deal done with either Thomas or cornerback Richard Sherman before either became a free agent after the 2014 season. Thomas deal is finished and the Seahawks can turn their attention toward trying to get a deal done with Sherman and solidifying three-fourths of the top secondary in the NFL for years to come. Strong safety Kam Chancellor is already signed through the 2017 season. Thomas was Seattles second first-round pick in the 2010 draft, the first with Carroll and general manager John Schneider leading the franchise. Its turned out to be one of the most important selections the team has made since starting a makeover with the duo in charge of moulding the Seahawks into a championship club. "Earl is as sserious a competitor as you could ever hope to be around.dddddddddddd He is in it, and hes on it and dialed in," Carroll said before the Super Bowl. Thomas was Seattles second-leading tackler last season and added five interceptions, but its what his presence allows the Seahawks to do defensively that underscores his value. His speed in coverage and recognition in the secondary are among the best in the game. Much of what Seattle wants to do defensively is predicated on having Thomas on the roster. At one point early in his career, Carroll had to threaten Thomas with benching because he was trying to do too much. Thomas was getting out of position and being undisciplined in his assignments. As he matured, those mistakes became harder to find. Thomas recognition of what opponents were trying to run became so good that he could play alone in the back of Seattles defence. Often this past season, the Seahawks were able to move Chancellor closer to the line of scrimmage and ask Thomas to patrol the back end by himself. He did that job at an elite level and earned his second straight All-Pro selection. "In this defence, I think me and Kam do a lot. Sometimes dirty work, sometimes a lot of game-changing plays," Thomas said during Super Bowl week. "Everybody on the defence understands that. Thats why this defence is so compatible with each other. Its selfless guys. "Were going to put everything on the line for each other. Love is the highest frequency we have and we understand that, and thats what its all about. When youre filled up with gratitude, its a genuine appreciation for everybody around you. Thats the way I love it." Thomas has 15 career interceptions in the regular season and two more in the playoffs. Thomas will still only be 29 years old when his new deal expires after the 2018 season. ' ' '