Rio anti-doping lab accreditation revoked

The accreditation of the anti-doping laboratory in 2016 Olympic host city Rio de Janeiro has been revoked, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Tuesday. The decision is a serious blow for Brazil, which will host the 2014 World Cup - with the final to be staged in Rio de Janeiro - before Rio welcomes the summer Olympics in 2016. WADA declared in a statement that the laboratory did not comply with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) and said the revocation will enter into force on September 25 this year. In the meantime, a suspension imposed on August 8 remains applicable and WADA said the laboratory "will no longer be authorised to carry out the testing of doping control samples on behalf of WADA or any testing authority." The laboratory has 21 days to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), although it can also reapply for accreditation. WADA carries out regular quality controls on its 35 laboratories worldwide to ensure that they are not falsely declaring positive samples and they are reporting abnormal results. The Brazilian laboratory previously had its accreditation suspended for nine months in 2012 before being reinstated. Source: AFP