Olympic star swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmidt went to Congress to urge lawmakers to crack down on doping ahead of the Olympics.
The Olympians, along with Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, made their case for why and how the government could sanction the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing to enforce anti-doping rules.
Following the report, WADA Confirmed In April, 23 swimmers from China’s team tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine (TMZ), but accepted the China Anti-Doping Agency’s (CHINADA) conclusion that the infections were caused by contamination. Eleven of the swimmers implicated in the scandal are on the Paris team. According to NBC:.
“During my time competing at the highest level, I saw the uncertainty and suspicion surrounding doping that deeply impacted my confidence and that of my fellow athletes,” Phelps told lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
Phelps’ wife and youngest child, who were in the stands, both expressed concern that doping, left unpunished, would “shatter” the dreams of the next generation of athletes.
“If we let this get any worse, there will be no Olympics,” Phelps later added.
Opposition lawmakers were united in their goal of holding WADA accountable.
“When trust in fair play is eroded, trust in sports is eroded,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), the subcommittee chairman.
Sen. Kathy Kastor (D-Fla.) concluded succinctly: “Americans don’t like people who cheat.”
The hearing is not the first time WADA’s practices have been the subject of a congressional challenge. In 2017, Phelps and Tygart testified before a similar committee about the Russian government’s doping scandal. Tygart testified that WADA had received a 60% budget increase to fund its investigative division, including a $3.7 million contribution from the United States.
While several lawmakers highlighted US funding for WADA as a way to control the agency, others noted Chinese funding may have worked to the US’s advantage.
“Did the payments from China influence their decision?” Kastor speculated in a series of rhetorical questions.
Tygart told The Hill that the United States is WADA’s largest government donor, but China paid more than its required amount in the year before WADA was launched.
“What are their expectations and why are they paying more that they don’t have to pay when they’re not obligated to?” he said.
Tygart made specific requests to Congress, including calling for the subpoena of Chinese documents, the creation of an independent expert committee to review positive tests that are not considered violations of the rules and conducting a thorough audit of WADA.
In early June, the House budget bill included cutting about $1.5 million from WADA.
“I think that was a very strong signal that we’re not going to have any more matches around here,” Tygart concluded. “We need to sue WADA to ensure fairness around the world.”
WADA president Witold Banka declined an invitation to testify before the committee along with Phelps, Schmidt and Tygart.
“Politicizing anti-doping in this way is inappropriate. It only undermines trust in the system and ultimately does not serve the interests of athletes in the United States or any other country,” Banka said in the agency’s official statement.
