January 18, (THEWILL) – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its annual testing figures report for 2021, which shows a 61.2% increase in the number of samples analysed and recorded compared to the previous year.
The 241,430 urine and non-athlete biological passport blood samples analysed and reported to the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System were up from 149,758 in 2020. However, the number of samples analysed in 2021, was down from 2017, 2018 and 2019, when 245,232, 263,519 and 278,047 were reported respectively.
WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli, said the report represented a return to normality following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He also noted an increase in the total number of samples analysed and reported by nearly all of the 28 WADA-accredited laboratories and two WADA-approved laboratories for the Athlete Biological Passport.
Additionally, the number of adverse analytical findings for growth hormone was reported to be up to seven from one in 2020.
