USADA says it ‘fully supports’ US government’s decision to withhold $3.6M payment from World Anti-Doping Agency
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The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has expressed full support for the US government’s decision to withhold a $3.625 million payment to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) due on December 31, 2024. This move follows an ongoing dispute between the two organizations, sparked by WADA’s handling of a doping case involving Chinese swimmers.
The controversy first emerged in April 2024, when it was revealed that WADA had cleared 23 Chinese swimmers to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics despite all of them testing positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned heart drug. WADA accepted the explanation provided by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) that the swimmers’ positive tests were caused by contamination, likely from a hotel restaurant. This decision led to accusations from USADA that WADA had failed to properly address the situation, with some alleging that the cases were being covered up.
In response to USADA’s criticism, WADA defended its actions and strongly rejected the accusations. The agency called USADA’s remarks “outrageous, completely false and defamatory” and stated that it was “not in a position to disprove” CHINADA’s contamination explanation.
Despite WADA’s defense, USADA has continued to criticize the organization’s handling of the case. USADA CEO Travis Tygart stated in a recent statement that the agency “fully supports” the US government’s decision to withhold the payment, emphasizing that it was the right choice to protect the integrity of fair competition, athlete rights, and accountability.
Tygart pointed to the failure of WADA’s leadership to address what he described as “very reasonable requests,” including an independent audit of WADA’s operations, which he believes is necessary to ensure the organization operates with transparency and accountability. He stated that since the Chinese swimmer issue was exposed, many stakeholders—such as athletes, governments, and National Anti-Doping Agencies—have called for WADA to provide clarity and answers.
The USADA CEO further argued that significant reform is needed within WADA to prevent such incidents from happening again. According to Tygart, the current leadership at WADA has left the US with no other option but to take action in order to protect the interests of athletes and maintain the credibility of the anti-doping system.
WADA has confirmed that it did not receive the US government’s contribution to its 2024 budget by the December 31 deadline. As a result, US representatives are now ineligible to sit on WADA’s foundation board or executive committee, which is a significant consequence given that the next two major global sports events—the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—will take place in the United States.
WADA’s statement also clarified that its overall budget for 2025 is set at $57.5 million, with the US’s contribution being a key part of its funding structure.
In response to the controversy, US lawmakers have called for investigations into the issue. In May 2024, lawmakers urged the US Department of Justice and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to launch inquiries into the Chinese swimmers’ doping case. By August 2024, World Aquatics confirmed that the US government was pursuing a criminal investigation into the matter.
Meanwhile, an independent report commissioned into the case cleared WADA of bias, finding that it was “reasonable” for the agency not to appeal CHINADA’s explanation. However, the report did criticize WADA for its “disorganization” and lack of clarity in handling the issue, particularly regarding communication with stakeholders.
The fallout from the case highlights the ongoing tensions between USADA and WADA over the management of doping cases and the broader functioning of the global anti-doping system. The withholding of payment to WADA is a significant move that may prompt further scrutiny and calls for reform within the organization, especially as the issue of athlete protection and fairness in competition continues to dominate discussions in the world of sports.
As the legal and political battles continue, both USADA and WADA are under intense pressure to address the concerns raised by stakeholders and restore trust in the anti-doping system. Whether WADA’s leadership will be willing to make the necessary reforms remains to be seen, but the situation is clearly far from resolved.
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