First appeared on FOX: A group of House Republicans is weighing in on the U.S.-China fight over an international body that would regulate athletes’ use of performance-enhancing drugs.
“We, the undersigned Parliamentarians, are writing to express our serious concerns regarding recent developments surrounding the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its handling of doping allegations,” the letter, addressed to WADA president Witold Banka, said.
“Transparency and integrity in global sport are at stake and we believe it is essential that these matters are addressed swiftly and thoroughly.”
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Tensions between the US and China are escalating again over the Olympics. (Getty Images)
The letter, written by Reps. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Geoff Duncan (R-SC) and Morgan Griffiths (R-VA), first pointed to allegations that WADA concealed the fact that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned substances before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics – news that was uncovered by journalists and forced WADA to go public.
“It has been revealed that two more Chinese swimmers, including one member of China’s national team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, have tested positive for banned substances in 2022,” the lawmakers wrote.
An investigation by China’s anti-doping agency determined the drugs were in the swimmers’ systems through tainted hamburger meat, a claim not disputed by WADA.
U.S. officials have criticized WADA for its lack of transparency in the weeks leading up to the recently concluded Paris Olympics, and in June the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held a hearing featuring star swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmidt, who said athletes have lost trust in the international organization.
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The lead author of the letter is Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko of Arizona. (Photo by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
WADA defended itself by accusing the United States of putting the country at the center of its own geopolitical conflict.
A top WADA official said: BBC In late July, “a specific individual [in the US] They are trying to score political points simply because the player in question is Chinese.”
Republican lawmakers are calling on the committee to provide a “detailed explanation” of its investigation into the 23 Chinese swimmers who were exonerated and explain why it did not make its findings public sooner, and to commission an independent review of the decision.
“The American people, athletes, and the global sports community deserve an explanation. We support the principle that sport should be free from corruption and that dopers must be held accountable regardless of their nationality,” the letter said.
The sports tensions are part of a widening rift between the United States and China, with relations between the two superpowers at their coldest in modern history.
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China has accused the U.S. of double standards and has called for increased drug testing of U.S. athletes.
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However, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) told Fox News Digital that it supports Lesko’s letter.
“Those who have nothing to hide will welcome the opportunity to answer questions and provide the information necessary to give the stakeholders confidence that the rules are being enforced fairly,” USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart said. “We deeply appreciate every effort to ensure accountability, transparency and a strong global anti-doping regulatory body for clean athletes.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to WADA for comment.
