The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of Beijing’s National Anti-Doping laboratory, weeks after launching a probe into drugs allegations in Chinese swimming. The laboratory, suspended for a maximum of four months, has 21 days to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

• WADA said the laboratory could apply for reinstatement before the four months was up if it took remedial steps and tackled “non-conformities”, without providing details.
• China’s national anti-doping agency said the laboratory had submitted “two false negative results” during blind tests conducted by WADA in 2015.
• It prohibits the laboratory from carrying out any WADA-related anti-doping activities including all analyses of urine and blood samples.
• Recently WADA revoked the accreditation of the Moscow Antidoping Center, which had been suspended on November 10 after an independent investigation found that laboratory director Grigori Rodchenkov had ordered nearly 1,500 samples to be destroyed.

China’s anti-doping agency disputed the “false report” and denied an attempted cover-up had taken place although it did admit six swimmers had tested positivefor the drugs clenbuterol and hydrochlorothiazide. Hong Kong’s anti-doping agency said its operations would not be affected although it would have to find other laboratories to do its testing.