World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that it has extended Bloemfontein Laboratory's suspension. WADA

Bloemfontein’s anti-doping laboratory in South Africa has had its accreditation suspension extended for a second time, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced in a press release Tuesday. In March 2024, WADA imposed a six-month suspension due to multiple non-conformities with the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL). The imposed extension for a second period of up to six months was granted on the basis of the laboratory’s request, in order to have sufficient time to address the issues related to the suspension.  

Africa's only anti-doping laboratory was first put on an analytical testing restriction (ATR) in September 2023 in relation with its Gas Chromatography / Combustion / Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC/C/IRMS) analytical method. In February 2024, WADA received a recommendation from the Laboratory Expert Advisory Group (Lab EAG) to suspend the WADA accreditation of the laboratory due to multiple non-conformities with the ISL; including non-conformities with Technical Documents and the continued ATR, among other issues. 



The suspension took effect on 1 March 2024 prohibiting the laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities; including analyses of urine and blood samples, with the exception of analysis related to the Athlete Biological Passport haematological module.

During the extended period of suspension, the laboratory shall address all non-conformities identified by the Lab EAG or WADA in any request for corrective action or otherwise, as well as any additional non-conformities identified by any follow-up WADA site visit. If the laboratory satisfies the Lab EAG in meeting these requirements, it may apply for reinstatement prior to the expiry of the extended suspension period —which Bloemfontein has failed to do. The suspension will be in place until 1 March 2025, or until the date that the requirements are met, if earlier. 

It is not the first time that Bloemfontein has had its accreditation revoked. The laboratory was under scrutiny in 2016 for non-compliance with ISL, and its provisional suspension was also extended into 2017.