Brazilian Anti-Doping Lab is Reinstated for 2016 Olympics

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Wednesday, July 20th, that, it was lifting the accreditation suspension of the Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory (LBCD), in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This reinstatement now allows the Rio lab to conduct anti-doping analysis of athletes’ urine and blood samples during the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.

“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,” states Olivier Niggli, WADA General Director during the announcement.

According to WADA officials, the Brazilian laboratory, which had its accreditation suspended on June 24th, ‘has successfully complied with the International Standard for Laboratories’ (ISL) requirements for reinstatement and no further suspension is required.’

Brazil’s Sports Ministry commemorated the decision, “The confirmation of the UFRJ laboratory as the institution responsible for carrying out the doping tests during the Olympic and Paralympic Games Rio 2016 reinforces the confidence of the Ministry of Sports and the Brazilian Authority for Doping Control (ABCD) of the work performed by LBCD – with more than 2500 tests conducted since the opening – and technical-scientific legacy for the Fight against Doping in Sports,” stated the note released by the Ministry.

The re-certification of the Brazilian laboratory came hours before the Court for the Arbitration of Sport rejected an appeal made by the Russian Olympic Committee to allow 67 of its track and field athletes to compete in this year’s Games. The athletes were suspended from the competition by the International Association of Athletics Federations in November of 2015 after a WADA report showed a culture of systematic cheating of Russian athletes, aided and covered up by the Russian state.

Last week WADA officials had asked the courts to prevent the participation of Russian athletes from all international competitions, including the Rio Games.