“What happened?” was among the first reaction as they learned that World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspended its accreditation of the National Anti-Doping Laboratory in Beijing for a maximum period of four months.
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The suspension, announced by Wada on Thursday, will last up to four months and the laboratory is forbidden from carrying out any anti-doping activities linked to the worldwide anti-doping body such as the analysis of urine and blood samples.
It added that if the lab remedies its practice and addresses “non-conformities” identified by assessors then the suspension may be lifted early, in a statement quoted by AP.
“We reported two false negative results in WADA’s technical tests past year”.
WADA has required the laboratory to take 5 remedial steps during the suspension period.
WADA was pushing for a law that would allow Kenya’s new national anti-doping agency to enforce bans and control the country’s anti-doping process.
The Beijing lab can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days.
China’s anti-doping program has been under scrutiny in recent weeks following a British newspaper report that alleged Chinese swimming had covered up positive drugs tests ahead of Olympic trials for the Rio de Janeiro Games to avoid a “storm”.
CHINADA denied the existence of a cover up and said they needed to test the backup “B” samples before a conclusive decision could be taken.
If Kenya fails to convince the International Association of Athletics Federations and the World Anti-Doping Agency that it’s cracking down on cheating in sport, some of the world’s best athletes could miss the 2016 Olympics.
Kenya topped the medal table at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing with seven golds.
Last Friday, WADA revoked the accreditation of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, which was suspended in November after an independent investigation found its director had ordered almost 1,500 samples to be destroyed.
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The President said Kenyan athletes have earned reputation as sportsmen and women of the highest stature through hard work over the years. Russia, which is now suspended from global athletics, has been subject to claims of widespread cheating and state-backed doping in athletics.
