WADA prolongs Moscow's laboratory inspection, denies obstacles to its work

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reported on Wednesday that it had decided to extend its inspection visit to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA)'s laboratory but denied that Russia had imposed new obstacles to its work.

A three-person team of WADA experts arrived in Moscow on January 10 in order to start testing Russia's main anti-doping laboratory and extract doping analyses data from the lab's computer systems, reports Efe news.

"It is taking longer than had been originally estimated but the team is facing no specific issues or difficulties in carrying out their task," WADA told local media.

The international organisation explained that it has not put any deadline for the inspection mission, adding it is set to comment regarding the rehabilitation of RUSADA next week.

"WADA Executive Committee to discuss Compliance Review Committee recommendation regarding RUSADA compliance status on January 22, via conference call," the organisation posted to its official Twitter account.

Wednesday's WADA statements are a marked change from the beginning of January when the international organisation expressed disappointment, claiming that Russia did not adhere to a December 31 deadline when Russian authorities denied the entrance of WADA's five-man technical team into the Eurasian country on a claim that the WADA equipment was not certified under Russian law.

On September 20, WADA temporarily rehabilitated RUSADA, whose license was suspended in November 2015 over state-doping accusations, adding that the Russian agency was still subject to be suspended again if it did not comply with the conditions of the world agency.

--IANS

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