NewsA bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced the Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2024 on Tuesday, threatening to withhold funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) amid allegations that the organization has helped cover up widespread anabolic steroid use by Chinese swimmers competing in the Olympic Games. The proposed bill was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) along with Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL). The bill aims to grant the US Office of National Drug Policy (ONDCP) the authority to withhold up to the full amount of the US’s contribution.
If passed, the bill would also empower the US Office of National Drug Policy to use all available tools to ensure that the World Anti-Doping Agency fully implements governance reforms and allow for independent athletes from the US and other countries to have decision-making roles in the agency’s executive committee and governance bodies.
The US is the largest financial contributor to the agency, with a 2023 contribution of $3.419 million, which constitutes a significant portion of the agency’s $49.6 million annual budget. The World Anti-Doping Agency has not yet issued an official statement regarding the introduction of the legislation.
The proposed legislation comes after a series of reports highlighting alleged doping cover-ups involving Chinese swimmers. A recent report revealed that the World Anti-Doping Agency declined to appeal China’s decision not to impose bans on two Chinese swimmers after they had tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2022. One of the swimmers implicated in the 2022 tests is currently a member of China’s team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The World Anti-Doping Agency issued a statement refuting the allegations and stating that there was no evidence to challenge the claim that contaminated meat was the source of the positive tests.
Another report revealed the agency had secretly cleared 23 Chinese swimmers of doping charges after they tested positive for a powerful performance-enhancing drug before the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2022. The agency described the allegations as part of a broader geopolitical tension after having already discussed the issue in a press release from April 2024.
The lawmakers behind the bill have accused the agency of failing to independently investigate and verify the findings of the Chinese authorities. Senator Chris Van Hollen said, “I think WADA looks really bad here, I don’t think their position is sustainable, WADA unfortunately failed to do it’s job.” Representative John Moolenaar similarly commented, “We owe it to the athletes of every nation to take a stand in favor of a fair, drug-free olympics.”
A congressional hearing for this issue was held on June 25 with a primary focus on the case involving 23 swimmers from China. The World Anti-Doping Agency had declined to send a representative, arguing that the proceedings were pushing misinformation and damaging the agency’s reputation. The proposed legislation comes amid broader tensions between the US and China, with US lawmakers asserting that China is wielding improper influence over the World Anti-Doping Agency.
