The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) says it will send a team next week to retrieve data from a Moscow anti-doping laboratory, a key requirement for the full reinstatement of the Russian anti-doping agency.
A five-person WADA delegation will travel to Moscow on December 17 to access the raw data from the lab, it said on December 14.
WADA in September decided to reinstate Russia's anti-doping agency (RUSADA) on condition it will allow access to the lab and data before the end of the year.
The reanalysis of samples required by WADA following review of the laboratory data must be completed no later than June 30.
“Gaining full access to the laboratory and the data contained within it was the reason behind the 20 September decision [to reinstate RUSADA] and it is satisfying that we are another step closer to realizing that," said WADA Director-General Olivier Niggli in a statement.
RUSADA was suspended in 2015 after a WADA-commissioned report found that there was massive state-backed, systematic doping in Russian athletics. Moscow has denied the accusation.
Earlier this month, the Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations decided to maintain its doping-related ban of the Russian Athletics Federation that has been introduced in 2015.
