New and old challenges of sports drug testing.

This brief note gives a general overview on the activity of the antidoping laboratories accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), outlining the evolution, over the last four decades, of the analytical methods and techniques in the detection of prohibited substances and methods. Special emphasis is given to the future trends of the fight against doping in sports, as seen from the perspective of a laboratory scientist, in the wider context of fair play, health protection, and perception of the activity of the antidoping laboratories by the general public.