VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)

The IOC opened a formal investigation yesterday into a doping case that could lead to the stripping of goldmedals from a US women's relay team at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee executive board set up a disciplinary commission into the case of Crystal Cox, who ran in the preliminaries of the winning 4x400 team in Athens.

The US Anti-Doping Agency said late last month that Cox had admitted to using anabolic steroids and accepted a four-year suspension and disqualification of her results from 2001 to 2004.

IOC vice-president Thomas Bach said he will lead a three-man panel into the case. Such a process has previously led the IOC to remove national relay teams of medals retroactively, including three US teams from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Under international rules, an entire relay team can be disqualified because of the doping of one member, even an alternate. Russia would move from silver to gold in the 2004 relay if the US team is disqualified. Jamaica was third.

Sanya Richards, Dee Dee Trotter, Monique Henderson and Monique Hennegan ran in the Athens final. Moushaumi Robinson joined Cox in the preliminary heat.