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Rio drug lab ready to be reinstated for Olympics - minister

Xinhua, July 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Rio drug laboratory suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is ready to have its license reinstated for next month's Olympic Games, the Brazilian government said on Thursday.

WADA stripped the Brazilian doping control laboratory, or LBCD, as it is known, of its credentials last month due to "non-conformity" with the agency's international standards.

The Montreal-based body said that urine and blood samples during the August 5-21 Olympics would be transported for testing at an accredited laboratory in another country.

But Brazilian sports minister Leonardo Picciani said the issue has now been resolved and urged WADA to quickly re-accredit the facility.

"The cause of the problem that led to the suspension has been identified and fully corrected," Picciani told reporters.

"We have the expectation that WADA will re-accredit the laboratory for the Olympic Games because we have done all that has been asked."

Neither WADA nor LBCD gave reasons for the suspension, but local media said the decision was due to a series of positive tests that were dismissed due to "technical errors".

LBCD also had its WADA accreditation revoked before the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil. The suspension was lifted in May last year after the laboratory invested 60 million US dollars to upgrade equipment and train staff. Endit