12:00, 13 January 2014

Yuri Nagornykh: WADA approves anti-doping laboratory in Sochi

Olympic Countdown Clock in Sochi. Photo by Svetlana Kravchenko for the "Caucasian Knot"

The Olympic anti-doping laboratory in Sochi has been accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and it is ready to work during the Winter Olympic Games. This was reported by Yuri Nagornykh, Deputy Minister for Sport. The anti-doping laboratory is to take doping tests from athletes from January 27 till April 15, 2014.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" has reported about the statement made by Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that the Sochi Winter Games will operate the programme against illicit drugs which will be the most severe one in the history of the Olympic movement. The IOC plans a 57-percent increase in the total number of tests compared with the Olympic Games held in Vancouver.

In November 2013, the disciplinary committee of the WADA (theWorld Anti-Doping Agency, note of the "Caucasian Knot") recommended to take away accreditation from the Moscow anti-doping centre because of "lack of its reliability". However, after the inspection trip to the capital city of the 2014 Olympic Games, the WADA Commission has issued all the necessary permits to the Sochi laboratory.