International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge announced on Tuesday he had set up a disciplinary commission to investigate allegations made against US sprinter Marion Jones by BALCO chief Victor Conte.
"The allegations made by Mr Conte are extremely serious and the IOC is fully committed to bringing to light any elements that will help the truth prevail," the IOC said on its website.
Conte is facing criminal charges of supplying illegal drugs to athletes through his BALCO laboratory in San Francisco.
He told the ABC news magazine 20/20 last week he saw former multiple Olympic champion Jones using steroids, having introduced her to a doping programme before the 2000 Olympics.
Jones's lawyer Rich Nichols denied the allegations again.
"Victor Conte's allegations are not true and the truth will be revealed for the world to see as the legal process moves forward," Nichols said in a statement.
"Marion Jones has passed a lie detector test, released a physician's report, maintained the same physical appearance and consistently stated that she has never, ever taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs," he added.
"Victor Conte is someone who is under federal indictment, facing serious prison time and has a record of issuing a host of contradictory, inconsistent statements."
Jones has consistently denied using performance-enhancing drugs. She has never failed a drugs test.
Dick Pound, head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), said on Monday that the American, who won three gold medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, should be stripped of all her medals and banned for two years if found guilty.
Under IOC rules, athletes can only be stripped of their medals if they are caught within three years of the event.
The IOC commission will present a report to the executive board following its probe.
