"Of course, the WADA recommendations will be implemented," Mutko told  Russian newsagency Ria Novosti.

"There is no problem whatsoever.

"The WADA systematically expresses certain tips and suggestions to anti-doping centres in order to increase the effectiveness of a laboratory's work."

WADA has also imposed a second deadline of April 1, 2014, when the laboratory must ensure that programme of improvement has been "drafted, finalised, implemented and embedded."

"If the two above-mentioned conditions are fully satisfied within the specified deadlines (to which no extensions will be granted), then the above referenced six month suspension of accreditation of the Moscow laboratory shall never come into effect," the WADA statement said.

But WADA have issued a thinly-veiled threat to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that they must remain vigilant if the Moscow laboratory does undertake analysis of samples during Sochi 2014.  

"While WADA is not the responsible medical authority during the period of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, WADA strongly suggests that the IOC consider appropriate action (including the appointment of necessary experts) to ensure the complete integrity of all analysis performed by the Moscow Laboratory operating in Moscow and/or in the satellite facility in Sochi," WADA warn in the statement.

Last December the sister of the director of the Moscow laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, was convicted for buying and possessing banned drugs, with the intention of supplying them to athletes.

He was himself questioned over the affair but was never charged and was allowed to return to his position in charge of the laboratory, whose full title is The Russian Federal State Unitary Enterprise Anti-Doping Centre, following two months in hospital after reportedly suffering a breakdown.

Russian javelin thrower Lada Chernova had a life ban lifted after the Moscow anti-doping laboratory were found to have made mistakes with her paperwork @Getty Images

There have also been allegations from Russian coaches that they were forced to pay up 50,000 roubles (£950/$1,500/€1,130) to be part of a doping programme and that their samples were substituted at the laboratory in Moscow for clean ones to ensure they avoided detection. 

Lada Chernova, who was banned for life on the eve of Beijing 2008, earlier this year had her ban overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) allegedly because of the mistakes made by the laboratory in Moscow that included false paperwork.

If Moscow loses its accreditation, it would not be able to test athletes' urine and blood samples for banned substances in the Winter Olympics or Paralympics, due to take place between March 7 and 16 and where more than 600 samples are due to be taken.

That would follow WADA's revocation of the Rio de Janeiro laboratory's rights to test in August, which will force organisers to fly samples to Lausanne during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Rio is also host city for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, which means the host cities of both upcoming Games will potentially have lost testing accreditation -- an embarrassment for the organising countries.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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