Gsk Joins London 2012 Sponsors
GlaxoSmithKline has signed up as a London 2012 Tier Three domestic sponsor with a primary role in anti-doping procedures for the Olympics – the latest in a long line of commercial deals negotiated by the Games’ organising committee, LOCOG.
GlaxoSmithKline has signed up as the official laboratory services provider and will provide facilities and equipment to enable Kings College London to operate a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accredited satellite laboratory during the Games
There will be thousands of samples analysed throughout the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and the laboratory will be in operation 24 hours a day throughout the Games.
The facility will be based at one of GSK’s research and development sites in the UK offering the capacity for King’s College to independently run the laboratory, working with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee during London 2012.
One of the UK’s leading universities, King’s College London’s Drug Control Centre has a track record in anti-doping control, analysing samples collected from athletes competing in major sporting events and training.
Working with UK Sport to implement the UK’s anti-doping policy in sport, the centre carried out more than 8,000 tests across 70 sports last year.
The Centre, led by Director, Professor David Cowan, is well respected internationally and has a proven record of successfully delivering analysis services for major games. It was the first human sports drug-testing laboratory established outside of an Olympic Games.
