WADA reinstates Rio doping lab ahead of Olympics
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With just 16 days to go before the Summer Games kick off in Brazil, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has reinstated the accreditation of the Rio anti-doping Laboratory, WADA announced Wednesday.
“WADA is very pleased to announce that the Rio Laboratory’s accreditation has been reinstated,” WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. “All parties worked diligently to resolve the identified issue so that the Laboratory could be up and running optimally for the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games that start on 5 August. Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the Laboratory’s suspension; and, that it will also be during the Games.”
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The Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory was prohibited from carrying out anti-doping tests on blood and urine samples in June. Had the lab been closed during the Olympics, the doping samples taken from athletes would have been shipped out to other accredited labs, which would have increased the risk for mishandling the samples.
Other labs from around the world have also been suspended in 2016, including Madrid, Beijing and Lisbon.
The Olympics are set to begin on Aug. 5.
- Chris Chavez
