WADA reinstates accreditation of Rio anti-doping lab

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has reinstated the accreditation of the Rio drug testing laboratory with nearly two weeks to the start of the 2016 Olympic games.

WADA said the Rio lab had successfully complied with all requirements for reinstatement.

“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,” WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli said.

WADA on June 24 suspended the lab’s credentials for failing to comply with international standards.

Technical errors leading to false positives were believed to have led to the suspension of the laboratory’s accreditation, a source familiar with the decision said at the time.

The reinstatement of accreditation means the lab can resume anti-doping analysis of urine and blood samples – an exercise it was barred from undertaking when it was suspended.

Niggli is quoted on the Rio 2016 website as saying: “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.”

This is not the first time the laboratory has faced suspension. It was previously suspended in 2013 just before Brazil hosted the 2014 World Cup and was reinstated last year.

Nearly 7,000 samples will be analyzed during the period of the games that is from August 5 to 21.