The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) says the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) will face a compliance review, which could jeopardise the country hosting the 2028 and 2034 Olympics.
Wada told Reuters it was taking action against Usada over a dispute around a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021.
The case drew criticism from Usada, whose chief executive Travis Tygart suggested a cover-up – a claim Wada rejected as “completely false and defamatory”.
The United States is set to host the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles, while it was announced on Wednesday that Salt Lake City would host the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2034.
However, any country wanting to compete in or stage an international sporting event must be compliant with the anti-doping code.
Wada will take Usada to the Independent Compliance Review Committee next month.
If the Independent Compliance Review Court’s (CRC) review goes against the United States, the country would have to forfeit participating in and hosting the Olympics.
In response, Tygart called the move by Wada “retaliation” for Usada asking questions about the case of the Chinese swimmers.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier said it had altered the hosting contract to allow it to strip Salt Lake of the Games if US authorities did not respect the “supreme authority” of Wada.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Salt Lake City officials agreed to the revised contract.
Earlier this month, an independent investigation found Wada did not show bias in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
The swimmers, 11 of whom have been selected for this month’s Paris Olympics, tested positive for heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) at a training camp seven months before the delayed Games in 2021.
Wada claimed it was “not in a position to disprove” an assertion from the China Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) that they had unintentionally ingested TMZ, which can enhance performance.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating the case and could take action against the swimmers using the Rodchenkov Act, named after Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, who helped expose the country’s state-sponsored doping regime.
The Rodchenkov Act allows criminal charges to be brought against those found to have committed anti-doping rule violations.
It can be extended to any international sporting competitions that involve American athletes or have financial connections to the United States.
Wada president Witold Banka said on Wednesday the United States was taking a unilateral approach to anti-doping rules that risked undermining global rules.
In response to being taken to the CRC, Usada head Tygart said in a statement to Reuters: “First we have heard about it and if accurate, Wada is continuing the retaliation on those asking for answers from them for allowing China to sweep 23 positive cases under the rug.
“They’re (Wada) running scared instead of being transparent and I guess we will see how independent the CRC is or is not. The whole system is crumbling under this Wada leadership and clean athletes deserve better.”
IOC alter hosting contracts
The IOC confirmed the changes to the hosting contracts after France and Salt Lake City, Utah were provisionally chosen to host the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics respectively on Wednesday.
John Coates, chairman of the IOC’s legal commission, said the body could now “terminate Olympic host city contracts in cases where the supreme authority of the World Anti-Doping Agency in the fight against doping is not fully respected or if the application of the world anti-doping code is hindered or undermined.”
Tygart responded by accusing the IOC of “stooping to threats”.
USOPC chairman Gene Sykes said they are “committed to fostering Wada’s authority” because it is “crucial for the opportunity to provide clean sport for athletes”.
USOPC chief executive Sarah Hirshland added they had “happily and readily” signed the contract.
How the row unfolded
2021: Twenty three Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned drug before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but were cleared to compete after the country’s anti-doping agency found the results were caused by contamination
23 April, 2024: A joint report by the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reveal the positive tests for the first time. Usada chief executive Travis Tygart criticises Wada over its handling of the case
26 April: Wada announces it will launch an independent review, led by a Swiss prosecutor
4 May: World Aquatics appoints a five-person anti-doping audit review committee to “take away learnings” from the case
14 May: Wada calls an extraordinary meeting to discuss the case
19 June: Eleven of the Chinese swimmers who reportedly failed the drugs tests are included in the squad for the summer Olympics in Paris
26 June: Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, says Wada cannot be trusted to enforce its policies
9 July: An interim report from the independent investigation finds that Wada did not show bias in the case. Tygart again criticises Wada
11 July: The International Olympic Committee says it has “full confidence” in Wada
