Wada crisis: US Anti-Doping Agency backs government withholding funds
The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) has insisted it “fully supports” the US government’s call to withhold millions to the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Usada chief executive Travis Tygart said withholding the funds, given the US has been Wada’s biggest funder since its founding, was “the only right choice to protect athletes’ rights, accountability and fair competition” amid a dispute over a group of 23 Chinese swimmers caught in a doping scandal.
The refusal to cough up the £2.8m means US representatives would not be able to sit on the executive committee of Wada.
Last April it emerged that 23 Chinese athletes were given clearance, despite positive trimetazidine tests, to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
Wada, at the time, said that it couldn’t “disprove” the China Anti-Doping Agency explanation, which said the heart medication trimetazidine was unintentionally taken.
The crisis deepened before Usada suggested a cover up, which saw relations deteriorate.
Wada were cleared of Chinese bias but US lawmakers then said the allegations weren’t properly investigated and changed laws to give the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy the power to cut funding.
Added Tygart: “[Wada] “left the US with no other option after failing to deliver on several very reasonable requests, such as an independent audit of [its] operations, to achieve the transparency and accountability needed.
“Since the exposure of Wada’s failed handling of the 23 Chinese swimmers’ positive tests that gave China and its athletes special treatment under the rules, many stakeholders from around the world – including athletes, governments and National Anti-Doping Agencies – have sought answers, transparency and accountability from Wada leadership.
“Because Wada failed to uniformly enforce the global rules in place to protect the integrity of competition and athletes’ rights to fairness, significant reform at Wada must occur to ensure this never happens again.”