WADA to investigate potential integrity issue with bottles used for drug testing

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has begun an investigation into the "integrity" of a new generation of bottle used for drug testing.

An anti-doping laboratory in Cologne informed WADA that the security bottles, which were introduced only last September, could be opened manually when frozen.

All bottles used for anti-doping purposes, once secured, should be tamper-proof and only be opened by accredited personnel.

The bottles, made by Swiss manufacturer Berlinger, are used to collect, transport and store urine and blood samples for athletes' doping controls.

WADA said in a statement that it would "recommend appropriate measures, if needed, in order to maintain the integrity of the doping control process".

It continued: "WADA acknowledges that this situation, if confirmed, will raise concerns and questions."

The issue of bottle security was highlighted when WADA investigator Richard McLaren found that samples from the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi were tampered with as part of Russia's state-sponsored doping programme.