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≡ INTEL REPORT ≡
It has been three-and-a-half years since 23 star Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine at the national championships in January of 2021, but the issue is hotter now than ever.
Beyond the war-of-words between the World Anti-Doping Agency, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency over the CHINADA decision that no sanctions were required due to food contamination that installed the trimetazidine heart medication in the swimmers, the U.S. Congress got involved:
● 25 June 2024: A rare evening hearing was held by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s sub-committee on Oversight and Investigations, featuring Olympic star swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt, and USADA chief Travis Tygart.
● 25 July 2024: The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a six-page letter to WADA President Witold Banka (POL), listing 13 questions and asking for the complete case file on the Chinese swimming incident. It included:
“As a U.S. taxpayer supported entity, WADA has a responsibility to the American people to ensure this integrity by enforcing international testing requirements. We believe WADA has fallen short of this important mission.”
The day before, on 24 July, Salt Lake City was awarded hosting rights to the 2034 Olympic Winter Games, but with the proviso that the organizers had to agree – which they did – to the inclusion of a new clause – 39.2.c. – in the Olympic Host Contract:
“39.2. The IOC shall be entitled to terminate the OHC and to withdraw the Games from the Host, the Host NOC and the OCOG if:
“c. the Host Country is ruled ineligible to host or co-host and/or to be awarded the right to host or co-host the Games pursuant to or under the World Anti-Doping Code or if, in any other way, 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.”
This has not impressed the U.S. Congress, which has continued to pour on the pressure.
On 30 July, during the Paris Games, two U.S. Reps and two U.S. Senators introduced the “Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2024,” designed:
“to permanently provide the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the authority to withhold up to the full amount of membership dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) if the organization fails to operate as a fair and independent actor to ensure athletes are competing in drug-free Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
On 15 August, three Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina), Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia) and Debbie Lesko (R-Arizona) – fired off a new letter to Banka and WADA, which asks for:
● “[A] detailed account of the investigation into the 23 Chinese swimmers’ positive tests, including the rationale for keeping those results secret …”
● “Complete a thorough and independent investigation, where the scope and investigator are determined by neutral third parties.”
● “Review and reform WADA’s processes to ensure no country is above the rules …”
The new House letter does itself no favors when it includes clearly erroneous statements like “The U.S. government is WADA’s largest funding source.” The U.S. is the largest dues payer among the government entities that fund about half of WADA’s annual budget, but the International Olympic Committee itself pays fully half of WADA’s budget. Someone didn’t get their facts straight.
And that the pushing and shoving has resumed following the Paris Games is not a good sign for either side. The Salt Lake City organizers and Utah Governor Spencer Cox (a Republican) have promised to work through these issues with the Congress, especially concerning the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2019, but nothing is likely to happen until after November’s elections.
And then it may depend on who wins.
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