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London 2012 Anti-Doping Laboratory awarded WADA accreditation

2012-04-25 13:43 WADA

April 23, 2012 - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has granted accreditation to the London 2012 Anti-Doping Laboratory for the duration of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Laboratory, a satellite laboratory of the WADA-accredited Drug Control Centre at King’s College London, is located in Harlow, Essex in a facility provided to the Olympic and Paralympic Games by pharmaceutical company Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK).

“Achieving WADA accreditation means that the London 2012 Anti-Doping Laboratory will operate to the highest standards of sample analysis during the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said WADA President John Fahey.

“Doping athletes must know that there is a very good chance they will be tested this summer and that everything scientifically possible – and with the assistance of growing intelligence - will be done to make sure that their efforts to cheat are detected by the experts at the laboratory.”

The Laboratory will analyze up to 6,250 samples during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. One in every two Olympic athletes will be tested, including all medalists.

A team of 150 scientists will carry out the testing under the guidance of Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Centre at King’s College London.

WADA accreditation is based on two international standards - ISO/IEC 17025, and the International Standard for Laboratories.

During the accreditation process the laboratory undergoes a series of rigorous tests to establish its analysis credentials.

The process also involves several site visits from WADA’s Science Department and the ISO/IEC accrediting body prior to the granting of accreditation.

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