The U.S. government has withheld its annual financial contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), ratcheting up tensions between U.S. stakeholders and WADA over the anti-doping organization’s effectiveness and transparency.
WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. had declined to pay the $3.6 million it had pledged to WADA as part of its normal funding process for 2024. The New York Times reported that the decision to withhold funding was made by the White House in consultation with Congress, over concerns with WADA’s handling of a 2021 case in which 23 Chinese swimmers were quietly cleared after testing positive for the same banned substance.
“WADA must take concrete actions to restore trust in the world antidoping system and provide athletes the full confidence they deserve,” the White House said in a statement to the Times, which first reported the news Wednesday. “When U.S. taxpayer dollars are allocated, we must ensure full accountability, and it is our responsibility to ensure those funds are used appropriately.”
The White House press office did not immediately reply to a message from USA TODAY Sports.
USADA chief executive officer Travis Tygart said in a statement that he supported the move as “the only right choice to protect athletes’ rights, accountability, and fair competition.”
“Unfortunately, the current WADA leaders left the U.S. with no other option after failing to deliver on several very reasonable requests, such as an independent audit of WADA’s operations, to achieve the transparency and accountability needed to ensure WADA is fit for purpose to protect athletes,” said Tygart, who has repeatedly criticized WADA.
Tygart also stressed that no government had given more money to WADA since its founding in 2000 than the United States, while explaining that non-payment would have “no impact” on American athletes’ ability to compete in international sports.
The $3.6 million owed by the U.S., when automatically matched by the International Olympic Committee, represents about 14% of WADA’s $52-million budget for 2024. The U.S. is scheduled to pay $3.8 million for 2025.
Tygart had previously suggested that the U.S. could withhold its annual funding of WADA as a way to spark reform following the Chinese swimmers scandal, in which 23 athletes tested positive for the same banned substance, trimetazidine, just a few months before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. China’s anti-doping authority did not publicly disclose the positive tests, as required, and WADA quietly cleared the swimmers after agreeing with China’s contention that the positive tests were the result of contamination at a hotel.
When The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD first brought the case to light last spring, WADA leaders moved quickly to defend themselves against claims from critics, including Tygart, that they had effectively swept the case under the rug. WADA then repeatedly and publicly attacked Tygart and the U.S. as trying to politicize sports.
When asked about the ramifications of the U.S. decision to withhold funding, WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald wrote in an email Wednesday that, under the organization’s statutes, any country that does not pay its promised dues is barred from having any representation on WADA’s foundation board or executive committee, which help run it. That means Dr. Rahul Gupta, who oversees the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, will no longer sit on the executive committee.
The decision comes as the U.S. prepares to host a string of prestigious international sporting events over the next decade, including the 2026 World Cup for men’s soccer, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
The New York Times reported that, prior to withholding WADA’s funding, the White House researched the possible ramifications of the move and “concluded that it could mean losing out on hosting the 2034 Winter Olympics” − though that seems unlikely given the strength of Salt Lake’s bid and the shortage of other interested and well-equipped hosts. Spokespeople for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment.
The IOC officially awarded the 2034 Winter Games to the U.S. in a vote last summer after a contentious meeting in which IOC members ripped, among other things, the Rodchenkov Act, which allows American authorities to pursue criminal charges in doping cases that affect American athletes. U.S. bid leaders attempted to assuage those concerns and pledged to reiterate their support of WADA as “the supreme authority” in the global fight against doping in sports.
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @tomschad.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U.S. withholds WADA funding amid concerns over Chinese doping scandal
