FINCIS will launch co-operation with the Karolinska University Hospital’s doping control laboratory in analysing doping samples. The WADA-accredited laboratory is located in Stockholm. The reason for this change is that United Medix Laboratories Ltd increased its doping analysis prices significantly.
The doping testing laboratory has operated in Finland since the end of the 1970s. The price increase came as a surprise to FINCIS. The increase was so significant that it would seriously affect national doping testing.
“This is an unfortunate situation. We have co-operated successfully in analytics and other anti-doping activities, such as training and research, for a long time,” says Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports’ (FINCIS), Secretary General in charge Petteri Lindblom.
Doping samples are always analysed by a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). There are more than thirty accredited laboratories in the world. After this change, doping samples will no longer be analysed in Finland.
“The change of laboratory does not have significant impacts, for example, on the doping testing of championships arranged in Finland and analysing of samples. This new laboratory agreement ensures that the expenses of the competition organisers will not increase to unreasonable levels,” says Lindblom.
This change will not affect the testing of athletes. The national testing programme will be carried out as planned. FINCIS continues to manage doping control, doping test results and their processing in Finland.
The decision to switch to the Karolinska University Hospital’s doping control laboratory is valid until further notice. FINCIS will arrange competitive tendering for several WADA-accredited laboratories at the beginning of next year, after which a decision on a more permanent solution will be made. FINCIS will also investigate if there is a laboratory in Finland that would be interested in doping testing analytics.
For more information, please contact:
Susanna Sokka
FINCIS Information Manager
tel. +358 40 740 7477