Anti-doping lab will be "ready before end of next year", claim Rio 2016
Anti-doping lab will be "ready before end of next year", claim Rio 2016
Thursday, 20 March 2014
By Nick Butler at the Rio 2016 Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro
March 20 - Rio 2016 have claimed the anti-doping laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro will be fully operational by the end of next year, following criticism it has already missed initial deadlines.
Concerns over the state of preparation were again raised yesterday by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) director general David Howman when he told insidethegames "Rio is being given every opportunity to get fast-tracked and accredited."
Howman added "they need to take that opportunity and do it quickly" before responding to the question of when the deadline is with the answer: "yesterday".
But Rio 2016 communications director Mario Andrada claimed he was unconcerned and insisted "it will be ready by the end of 2015" because "that is a major commitment" of the Organising Committee.
The progress of the laboratory has been a major concern for Rio 2016 in recent months following the revelation that anti-doping at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer will be carried out in Lausanne due to the lack of an operational facility in the host country.
WADA revoked the accreditation of the laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), also known as LADETEC last year.
Concerns over Rio 2016 follows a huge doping operation during Sochi 2014 where German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle became the first of seven athletes to fail drugs tests
©AFP/Getty Images
Rio 2016 have chosen to build the new one in the same location rather than elsewhere in the city.
The election of Thomas Bach as IOC President last September has put added pressure on Rio 2016 to solve the problem.
Andrada admitted "the IOC have a way to push you strongly and they tell us to push us harder."
Andrada also conceded it would be logistically difficult for analysis of drug tests to be carried out abroad during Rio 2016.
"The World Cup in Brazil will have to rely upon labs abroad, but this is not possible in a bigger scale simultaneous competition like the Olympic Games," he said.
"We need labs."
Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].
The progress of the laboratory has been a major concern for Rio 2016 in recent months following the revelation that anti-doping at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil this summer will be carried out in Lausanne due to the lack of an operational facility in the host country.
WADA revoked the accreditation of the laboratory at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), also known as LADETEC last year.
Concerns over Rio 2016 follows a huge doping operation during Sochi 2014 where German biathlete Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle became the first of seven athletes to fail drugs tests©AFP/Getty Images
Rio 2016 have chosen to build the new one in the same location rather than elsewhere in the city.
The election of Thomas Bach as IOC President last September has put added pressure on Rio 2016 to solve the problem.
Andrada admitted "the IOC have a way to push you strongly and they tell us to push us harder."
Andrada also conceded it would be logistically difficult for analysis of drug tests to be carried out abroad during Rio 2016.
"The World Cup in Brazil will have to rely upon labs abroad, but this is not possible in a bigger scale simultaneous competition like the Olympic Games," he said.
"We need labs."
Contact the writer of this story at [email protected].
