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≡ U.S. vs. WADA CONTINUES ≡
“Nearly a year ago, I held a press conference with a bicameral, bi-partisan group of colleagues, demanding answers as to why the World Anti-Doping Agency betrayed its mission and allowed 23 Chinese swimmers to get away with doping.
“Unfortunately, almost a year after the explosive New York Times report exposing the scandal, WADA has failed to provide answers. Instead, all that they have provided are threats, stonewalling and intimidation.
“My message remains the same: my colleagues and I will not be threatened or silenced for promoting fair play and advocating for clean sport.”
That was Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) at the opening of Tuesday’s Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy subcommittee hearing titled “WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping.”
She set the stage for the 75-minute hearing by adding:
“In 2021, credible allegations emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance just months before the Tokyo Olympics. What did WADA do? Instead of launching a thorough investigation, they turned a blind eye. They accepted a deeply questionable explanation and allowed these athletes to go ahead and compete. Many of them went on to win medals.
“This wasn’t just a lapse in judgement. This was a cover-up.”
The hearing was in support of S. 233, “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Act of 2025,” introduced on 23 January 2025 by Blackburn, and assigned to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, of which her subcommittee is a part. That bill would allow the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy to withhold U.S. dues to WADA unless specific governance reforms are implemented.
The witnesses included the former head of the U.S. ONDCP, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, University of Baltimore law professor Dionne Koller and Katie McLaughlin, a Tokyo Olympic 4 x 200 m Freestyle silver medalist, who team finished behind China, with both under the prior world record.
Both Tygart and Gupta were specifically asked what will be take to restore confidence in WADA. Tygart noted that the integrity of the worldwide anti-doping system has been continuously under attack:
“This China scandal is happening on the heels of the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal. It is no wonder why the world’s athletes are incensed once again. …
“And how does WADA respond? Instead of acknowledging and fixing its failures, WADA has dug in to protect the Chinese and its backroom, secret decision-making process. If WADA had any legitimate answers, they would be here. This is the third time they have been invited, but declined to come to Congress.
“So, what can be done? First, disclose the entire Chinese TMZ [trimetazidine] dossier. Justice for athletes demands it.
“Second, the time for blind trust in WADA is over. WADA must be audited by independent experts. Finally … WADA must be independent. One of the core principles of an effective anti-doping system is that it must be free from sports influence. You cannot have the fox guarding the henhouse. …
“Unfortunately, WADA is not independent. WADA promised the U.S. it would make their President and Vice President independent; they have betrayed that promise and they did a classic bait-and-switch. We should continue to hold U.S. funding until this promise has been delivered.”
WADA President Witold Banka (POL) and Vice President Yang Yang (CHN) were re-elected unopposed for third terms for 2026-28 in May after a rule change to allow officers to serve the same number of terms as Board members.
Tygart added:
“We need a strong WADA. We support the mission. But we need a WADA that is truly independent, a global regular, not a lapdog to interests other than anything besides clean athletes and fairness in sport.”
Gupta explained his experience with WADA on the questions raised by the Chinese doping incident:
“When I, as the U.S. representative to WADA, asked questions, why we weren’t told, why no sanctions, why no transparency, we were met with deflection. The so-called independent investigator offered no recommendations, no accountability and no answers.
“This is not a technical lapse. It’s a governance failure, and it breaks faith with every clean competitor. The United States, as WADA’s largest public [government] funder and founder, could not in good conscience continue business as usual.
“That is we withheld our dues and demanded reforms. We need transparency in decision-making, true conflict-of-interest protections, independent oversight and a permanent U.S. seat at the table.
“WADA leaders responded by removing us from its Executive Committee, and that’s not because we broke rules, but because we dared to challenge a broken system. The United States was a democratically-elected member representing the Americas region; that is not how global institutions should operate. That is not leadership. That is fear of accountability.”
Gupta, then the head of the U.S. ONDCP during the Biden Administration, withheld the U.S. dues payment of $3.625 million for 2024 and it has not been paid yet.
In addition to McLaughlin’s concerns over the Chinese incident which may have cost her a gold medal in the Tokyo 4×200 m relay, a video of other athletes, notably star swimmers such as Ryan Murphy and Lilly King of the U.S., Mack Horton of Australia and others, voiced their concerns about WADA. Tygart noted:
“The confidence has been undermined and it’s coming on the heels of the Russian state-sponsored doping; if you see in my long testimony about the weightlifting, it was biathlon before that, it was track & field before that; here we go again. And we have to get this cleaned up to be effective going forward.
“I think the silver bullet on reform … is independence. And I think with independence, then flows transparency, accountability, effective use of resources, engaging in dialogue on how to better themselves, and than ultimately trust, which is the most important aspect for a system that is supposed to give confidence to athletes doing it the right way is the only way to win.”
Blackburn said near the end, “We do want to get this legislation across the line and get something on the books and be able to hold WADA to account. We know WADA and their allies are going to fight this.”
But the U.S., both at USADA and the Congress, appear ready for a long fight.
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