New testing method at Beijing 2022, exciting development for anti-doping: WADA president

The dried blood spot (DBS) testing, first put in official use at the Beijing Olympic Winter Games, is an exciting development for anti-doping, said Witold Banka, president of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

On Wednesday's press conference, Banka said that this innovative testing method, which only takes a few drops of blood from the athlete's fingertip to dry on a blotting paper for scientists to analyze certain substances, carries several advantages over traditional forms.

"It's a practice easier to collect, transport and store the samples with additional benefits," said Banka.

The method, jointly developed by the International Olympic Committee, WADA, the International Testing Agency, China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and USADA, was used at last year's Tokyo Olympics for trials and will make its formal appearance at Beijing 2022.

"We carried out over 300 DBS tests on our Winter Olympians during our preparation for Beijing 2022," said Chen Zhiyu, CHINADA director.

According to the WADA president, the testing of the games has been maintained at normal levels.

"There is still a lot of work ahead of us. We must continue moving forward with more tools and constant innovation to better protect the sport," he said.

Yang Yang, vice president of WADA and China's first-ever Winter Olympics gold medalist, also said on Wednesday that no athletes set out to break the rules. "That is why it is so important for us to protect and support the dreams of athletes as they strive to succeed."

"We will focus on protecting athletes and the integrity of the games," said Yang.