London 2017 has said that it “strongly refutes” the suggestion that choosing a cheaper partner to conduct anti-doping testing and analysis will result in poorer anti-doping services at the London 2017 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships, 5-13 August. German company Professional Worldwide Controls (PWC) was chosen over UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), as it was able to offer a cheaper price. This means that samples taken at London 2017 will be sent to the Doping Control Laboratory (DoCoLab) in Ghent, Belgium, rather than being analysed at the Kings College laboratory in London. Both the London and Belgium laboratories are accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

It is understood that UKAD wanted to offer a more competitive price, however its costs were forced up due to it being tied to using the Drug Control Centre at Kings College London. “This is the problem when commercial interests are involved in anti-doping”, said Professor David Cowan, Director of the Drug Control Centre at the Tackling Doping in Sport conference.

‘A detailed and methodical process for awarding the testing services contract for both championships has been undertaken’, read an emailed statement from London 2017. ‘The open tender process included an on-site visit, assessment of previous major international sports championship delivery experience, evaluation of security as well as experience of implementing widespread anti-doping programmes. When it comes to striving for clean athletics there can be no shortcuts and London 2017 is confident it has awarded the contract to an outstanding organisation.’

In December 2015, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) proposed the creation of an independent testing authority (ITA), to remove the conflict of interest whereby sport – which is responsible for keeping the cost of hosting an event low – also determines its anti-doping partners. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) agreed to set up a working group to explore the ITA concept at its Foundation Board meeting in November 2015, however a year later it did not appear to have got much further. “The feeling was that it might suit international federations to have a completely independent agency”, said WADA President Sir Craig Reedie at the November 2016 Foundation Board meeting. “It may be that it is a separate agency from WADA. If the sports movement wants to fund it, then yes, it can be done.”

An ITA may also help to harmonise anti-doping at major events. WADA’s Independent Observers (IO) praised the programme at the London 2012 Games, but found ‘serious failings’ with the programme in place at the Rio 2016 Games. In the week prior to the opening of the Rio Olympics, it was found that of the 11,470 athletes competing at the Games, 4,125 had no record of any testing taking place in 2016, of which 1,913 competed in one of the ten high-risk sports identified by an IOC Taskforce.

The London 2017 Organising Committee is delivering London 2017 on behalf of UK Athletics, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and UK Sport, supported by the government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). London was awarded the right to host the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships in late 2011 after a successful bid made jointly by UK Athletics and the GLA, supported by National Lottery funding provided by UK Sport and underwritten by the government through the DCMS.