A chasm is growing between WADA and the United States

The standoff between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is now turning into trench warfare.

The case of the 23 Chinese swimmers who failed an anti-doping test continues to make waves on American soil. It should be remembered that the WADA had, at the time, accepted the conclusions of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency which revealed a case of collective contamination in order to exonerate its athletes.

Brought to light by American and German media, the affair turned into a scandal and forced WADA to set up an independent investigation.

Since then, WADA and USADA have been at loggerheads. On Wednesday, the Americans sharpened them in an unprecedented way. The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing entitled Review of anti-doping measures ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.

Michael Phelps, the most successful swimmer in Olympic history with 23 gold medals, sided with his country, and his statements helped add fuel to already strained relations between the United States and WADA.

I urge Congress to use its considerable influence over the AMA to make the organization independent and effectivesaid the former athlete by way of introduction.

His tone hardened considerably after that.

As athletes, we can no longer blindly trust the World Anti-Doping Agency, which continually proves itself incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies consistently around the world.

This was enough to trigger the ire of WADA President Witold Banka, who had refused the commission’s invitation. A publication followed on the World Agency’s website.

The hearing was intended to further politicize a relatively simple case of mass contamination that has been turned into a scandal by a small number of individuals, primarily in the United States. Here is another example: the World Anti-Doping Agency is embroiled in a much larger struggle between two superpowers. As an independent and largely technical organization, WADA has no mandate to engage in these political debates.

Faced with the American threat to cut off funding to WADA by refusing to pay its contribution, one of the most important in its budget, Mr. Banka issued this warning:

In any event, it would be a shame if the United States chose not to honor its commitments to the Americas region and pay its agreed share of the annual contribution to the WADA budget. Naturally, this would have significant ramifications since the United States would immediately lose all positions it currently holds within the WADA governance structure, including on the Executive Committee. It could also have serious consequences for American sports.

In his press release, the WADA president does not hesitate to strongly criticize the American anti-doping system, which he considers lax.

:\”A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then climb up on the stump and make a speech for conservation.\””,”text”:”Given what we know about the anti-doping system in the United States, one can’t help but think of the words of American politician Adlai E. Stevenson: \”A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then climb up on the stump and make a speech for conservation.\””}}”>Given what we know about the anti-doping system in the United States, one cannot help but think of the words of American politician Adlai E. Stevenson: “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then climb up on the stump and make a speech for conservation.”

In conclusion, President Banka does not hide his anger towards the American attacks.

There is a lot to do together. Despite this, USADA’s attacks on WADA continue. Unfortunately, they not only harm the global anti-doping system that USADA is required to maintain, they also harm athletes by undermining their confidence in the sport. They lead athletes to question, a month before the biggest sporting event in the world, whether the competition is clean. As long as I am President, I will oppose anyone who drags WADA into its political games and undermines the system that the global anti-doping community has spent 25 years building together.

In the meantime, several athletes and sports specialists are denouncing the fact that 11 of the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive in the mass contamination case will be at the Paris Games.

Less than a month before the big French meeting, the Olympic world would have done well without this new duel. Some observers are now wondering if the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, who knew how to handle the foil by winning gold at the Montreal Games in 1976, will succeed in calming the two belligerents.