As the world turns its attention to the opening of the Winter Olympics, Milano Cortina 2026, millions of fans are focused on record-breaking performances, national pride, and the pursuit of athletic excellence. Behind the scenes, however, an equally critical effort is underway to ensure that every competition is fair, safe, and free from performance-enhancing drugs.
At the center of this effort is the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an independent international organization established to lead and coordinate the global fight against doping in sports. WADA works to protect the integrity of sport and ensure a level playing field for athletes through education, scientific and social science research, intelligence and investigations, and oversight of compliance with the World Anti-Doping Program.
A2LA plays a critical role in supporting WADA’s mission by accrediting laboratories that perform anti-doping testing in accordance with internationally recognized standards and WADA requirements. A2LA provides accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, which establishes laboratory technical competence, robust management systems, and traceable results. In collaboration with WADA, A2LA also provides accreditation to WADA’s International Standard for Laboratories (ISL), which builds on the ISO/IEC 17025 framework with sport-specific analytical criteria, strict reporting and chain-of-custody requirements, and enhanced oversight. Both standards must be met for a laboratory to become WADA-accredited.
To maintain consistency and fairness in anti-doping results worldwide, WADA limits the number of accredited laboratories in each economy. Laboratories are designated based on demonstrated testing capacity, scientific capability, and regional need. In the United States, WADA has designated two laboratories—the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory and the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory (SMRTL)—both of which are accredited by A2LA. This rigorous accreditation process helps ensure that laboratories conducting WADA-related testing consistently meet stringent quality and performance requirements.
For the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, WADA has played a central role in supporting the planning and delivery of a comprehensive anti-doping program in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Testing Agency (ITA), National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs), and International Federations. This includes oversight of the Games-time anti-doping framework, coordination of intelligence and investigations related to emerging doping risks, and monitoring compliance with the World Anti-Doping Program across participating organizations. WADA has also supported education initiatives for athletes and support personnel, contributed to risk-based testing strategies tailored to winter sports, and continues to ensure that accredited laboratories and testing processes meet international scientific and quality standards. Together, these efforts help safeguard athlete health and uphold the integrity of competition throughout the 2026 Winter Games.
Global standardization across anti-doping laboratories enables WADA to apply uniform testing practices, maintain oversight of compliance with the World Anti-Doping Program, and address emerging doping risks in a timely manner. This reliability gives athletes, officials, and fans confidence that competition results are fair and accurate. The accreditation partnership between A2LA and WADA directly strengthens the integrity of the Olympic Games, safeguards athlete health, and upholds the values of fair play and clean sport on the world’s largest stage.