Wada investigate issues with new doping test sample bottles

Olympic bosses are confident anti-doping officials can resolve issues over supposedly tamper-proof sample bottles.

On Sunday, the World Anti-Doping Agency said they had launched an investigation after a laboratory in Cologne said there was evidence the BEREG-KIT Geneva security bottles were “susceptible to manual opening upon freezing of a sample”.

The new bottles, made by Swiss firm Berlinger, were designed as a response to the last Winter Olympics in Sochi, where Russian samples were subject to wholesale tampering.

A spokesman for the IOC told Standard Sport: “We are confident WADA will fully address all the issues.”

Generally, the B sample of a drugs test is the only one frozen and then analysed if the A sample is found to contain a prohibited substance.

Berlinger did not respond when contacted today but WADA said they were “following up with the Cologne laboratory and Berlinger to further clarify the testing protocols that have been undertaken to date”.

Meanwhile, the International Paralympic Committee have upheld their ban on Russia competing at the Winter Paralympics but said it would allow some Russian competitors to compete as neutrals.