Wada suspends Beijing anti-doping laboratory

Beijing’s National Anti-Doping laboratory was suspended for a maximum of four months by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) on Thursday after failing to comply with international standards.

“The suspension, which takes effect immediately, prohibits the laboratory from carrying out any Wada-related anti-doping activities including all analyses of urine and blood samples,” Wada said in a statement.

The Beijing laboratory has 21 days to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Wada said the laboratory can apply for reinstatement before the four months is up if it takes five remedial steps outlined by the Disciplinary Committee and tackles “non-conformities”.

It did not give any further details.

A Moscow anti-doping laboratory, which has also failed to meet the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), had its accreditation revoked by Wada on Friday.

The lab had been non-operational since Wada suspended it in November after an independent commission’s report identified systematic failures within Russia’s anti-doping programme.

Russia is currently suspended from international track and field in the wake of the report exposing widespread cheating and corruption and its athletes could miss the Rio Olympics.