The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has proposed the establishment of an independent testing facility following the publication of Wada’s eye-opening report that alleged state-funded doping in Russia.
Research published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) last month uncovered a "deeply-rooted culture of cheating", which led to the nation being provisionally suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
During an IOC meeting in Lausanne this week (8-10 December), the executive board proposed a number of measures to combat doping and crack down on non-compliant anti-doping authorities and laboratories.
As well as the testing facility, the governing body recommended an independent management entity – both of which would fall under the leadership of Wada.
Within the body would be a professional intelligence gathering unit, which would keep abreast of the compliance of anti-doping organisations and laboratories “at the earliest possible stage”, allowing Wada to be proactive in its investigations.
“Sports organisations should transfer their doping control operations to this new organisation and make funding available initially at the level of present investment in the fight against doping,” said an IOC statement.
“Governments, which are 50 per cent partners of Wada, should support this reform alongside the sports movement, both logistically and financially.”
The IOC aims to have the independent doping system in place from the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in 2018 onwards.
Sanctions for wrongdoing, according to the IOC, should be administered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the right to appeal “fully upheld and guaranteed”.
The IOC also warned a number of governments about the non-compliant status of their doping authorities, with a deadline of 18 March to rectify this.
The National Anti-Doping Organisations of Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Israel, Russia and Ukraine have been declared non-compliant, while Belgium, Brazil, France, Greece, Mexico and Spain have been declared “provisionally non-compliant” by Wada.
As part of the IOC’s “declaration on good governance”, it pledged its intention to set up an independent audit system to International Federations, National Olympic Committees and Organising Committees for the Olympic Games to encourage good governance, transparent and democratic decision-making and clear financial reporting.
