WADA restricts testing at Polish anti-doping laboratory

The Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Thursday decided to limit confirmation procedures for substances related to modafinil for six months due to non-compliance with the International Standard for Laboratories.

Following a recommendation received on 4 March from its Laboratory Expert Advisory Group, WADA officials made the decision on Thursday, which may be appealed by the Polish laboratory to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt.

During this period, the lab may continue to carry out its usual anti-doping activities. However, all routine samples requiring confirmation analysis of substances related to modafinil must be securely transported to another WADA-accredited laboratory.

WADA is responsible for accrediting and reaccrediting anti-doping testing facilities, thereby ensuring that they maintain the highest quality standards. This monitoring process is carried out in conjunction with an assessment by the International Organisation for Standardisation, via independent national accreditation bodies that are full members of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.

Modafinil is a central nervous system stimulant medication primarily used to treat sleep disorders. It acts on brain chemicals such as dopamine to increase alertness, reduce excessive sleepiness, and improve concentration.

Although it is not a classic stimulant like amphetamines, it does have wakefulness-promoting effects and can carry risks, so it should only be used under medical prescription. In sport, modafinil is included on the WADA list of prohibited substances when there is no therapeutic use exemption, as it can enhance alertness and performance.

In Polish sport, there have been two relatively recent cases of athletes being sanctioned for using this substance. One is tennis player Jakub Januchowski, who received a four-year ban that began on 26 July 2024 and will end on 25 July 2028. The other case involves Mikołaj Sawicki, a volleyball player who tested positive for modafinil during an anti-doping test. He was provisionally suspended after the B sample also tested positive.

Modafinil has been prohibited on the WADA list since 2004 following several positive cases in 2003 and its growing use as a stimulant. It is a substance that has been used in many sports for years and pursued by various anti-doping authorities. Athletes under great pressure to perform at a high level have resorted to this drug in an attempt to enhance performance by overstimulating the body.

Cyclists, athletes and weightlifters have been sanctioned for its use for decades, including Canadian weightlifter Shania Sophia Bedward, who accepted a two-year ban last year after testing positive in a test carried out in September 2024. From now on, the Polish laboratory has six months to correct the identified irregularities, after which WADA may lift the restriction and the laboratory will resume normal operations in the affected areas. If the issues are not resolved, the restriction may be extended. In more serious cases, WADA may initiate proceedings that could lead to suspension or withdrawal of accreditation.