WADA suspends accreditation of Madrid testing lab

New Delhi: The World Anti-Doping Agency has suspended the accreditation of the Madrid testing laboratory on Monday following the March decision which declared Spain a non-compliant nation with the anti-doping code.

The Laboratorio de Control de Dopaje in Madrid  will be barred from carrying out any WADA-related anti-doping activities, including analysis of urine and blood samples, with immediate effect.

WADA declared Spain non-compliant with agreed global anti-doping measures on March 19 this year.

In such a situation, Spanish athletes may find themselves ineligible to compete in major events, including the Olympics. But the prevailing political paralysis in the country forced WADA to negotiate agreements to allow Spanish athletes to compete in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Madrid lab, which was suspended in December of 2012 for three months, has 21 days to appeal the current decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

However, the laboratory in Barcelona has maintained its accreditation, WADA said.