WADA President Craig Reedie said that WADA "strongly supports" the reinstatement of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency's membership and is waiting for the Russian side to "implement the set re-compliance criteria." Reedie: "WADA is resolutely focused on supporting the Russian Anti-Doping Agency in its efforts to return to compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, but it is first important that there is acceptance of the findings of the McLaren Report in Russia." WADA has "no plans" of changing the therapeutic-use exemption system. Reedie added, "The therapeutic-use exemption program is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport, which has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians and all anti-doping stakeholders" (TASS, 2/22).
Bogota's anti-doping laboratory had its accreditation "suspended for up to six months" after it failed to comply with int'l standards, WADA said on Tuesday. WADA said in a statement that the suspension, which began on Monday, "prohibits the lab from carrying out any anti-doping activities including all analyses of urine and blood samples" (REUTERS, 2/21).