Hong Kong’s anti-doping agency will have to find other centres for its testing following the suspension of Beijing’s National Anti-Doping Laboratory on Thursday, but it will not affect their operations according to a senior official.
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WADA said China can appeal the suspension and can also apply for reinstatement if it takes five unspecified “remedial steps” and addresses its “non-conformities”.
The athletics world has been in turmoil since the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued a report in November citing widespread use of doping in the sport. During the period of suspension, samples are required to be transported securely to another WADA-accredited laboratory.
The full significance of the ban remains unclear, given that details of any breaches have yet to be revealed.
Its suspension, less than four months from the start of the Olympics in Rio, comes after three Chinese swimmers tested positive for clenbuterol, with two, neither of them well known, let off with warnings in late March.
Whenever a laboratory does not meet ISL requirements, WADA may suspend the laboratory’s accreditation. The Moscow and Lisbon labs were stripped of their accreditation in the past week. WADA is tightening its standards following a series of anti-doping scandals.
Kenya had been placed on a “watch-list” of nations at risk of breaching WADA’s code.
Kenya on Friday approved a new anti-doping law which the east African track giant hopes will lift the threat of their exclusion from the Rio Olympics.
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“I am confident that WADA will look upon the passage of our anti-doping law favourably as a sign of our unwavering commitment to meeting the highest worldwide standards”, Kenyatta said.
