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A Russian Olympic swimmer has accused a Salt Lake City-based laboratory of an error following a test result that was changed from negative to positive for meldonium, which was added to the list of banned substances in January.
Yuliya Efimova, who competed at the 2008 Games in Beijing and later won a bronze medal in London in 2012, called on the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA this week to investigate the Utah lab following the switch.
Although not named by Efimova or confirmed by WADA, the only WADA-accredited lab in Utah is The Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) located in Salt Lake City. The Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory is one of two WADA-accredited laboratories in the United States.
Attempts to reach lab officials for comment were not immediately successful.
According to reports from Russia, Efimova was informed on June 3 that a March 2 test result was, in fact, not negative for meldonium. The drug can help treat some heart conditions, but can also aid in increasing an athlete's overall capacity during exercise. Efimova was not allowed to participate in Russia's Olympic trials in April due to the temporary suspension handed down by FINA — the world's governing swimming body — in mid-March. The report from Russia further stated that prior to the March 2 test in Salt Lake, Efimova had recently tested positive for meldonium in a series of tests in other WADA-approved labs elsewhere in North America.
On Friday, Ben Nichols, a spokesman for WADA, released a statement to The Salt Lake Tribune saying, "The case of Ms. Efimova, which is being handled by FINA, is still ongoing in light of the recommendation WADA provided in April regarding how organizations should pursue meldonium cases."
Nichols then said the negative test which turned positive will be placed under review.
"We acknowledge the concerns Ms. Efimova has in relation to the handle of her case. This matter, which is currently under review, will also be transferred to our Laboratory Expert Group for further consideration."
Despite Efimova's accusation that the positive meldonium test harmed her chances for inclusion in her third Olympic Games, the 24-year-old 100-meter world champion was named to Russia's 35-person Olympic team for Rio on June 14. On May 22, FINA lifted what was called a "provisional suspension" for testing positive for meldonium, but Efimova has yet to be cleared to swim in Rio as her case remains set for an arbitration hearing. Efimova was handed a 16-month suspension in 2014 after testing positive for the substance DHEA, classified as an anabolic androgenic steroid.
One of 34 accredited labs worldwide, the Utah-based lab is based in Research Park at the University of Utah and conducts "comprehensive testing for organizations overseeing anti-doping programs," according to its website.
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