Tension Continues to Rise Between WADA and USADA 

At the end of November, USADA released two letters to WADA, one from the Board Chair Dr. Tobie Smith and the other was a six-page slamming from President Travis Tygart.

The relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Administration (USADA) and the World Anti-Doping Administration (WADA) has been fraught ever since news came to light earlier this year that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in early 2021, and going into the holiday season, there was still tension.

In July, WADA announced they had begun a compliance review of USADA following their ongoing issues about the Chinese scandal. This review marks the first time the US has been subject to such a review, and if the review finds that the United States is not in compliance, they would be barred from participating in or hosting the Olympics in 2028 and 2034.

Along with this review, WADA released a three-page letter sent to USADA Board Chair Dr. Tobie Smith, disparaging USADA. They state that the letter was initiated by an inquiry for CEADO about the U.S. anti-doping programs.

The letter claims that 90% of American Athletes compete outside the jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Code. They also slammed the US for the number of doping tests the United States completes calling it “far from optimal”. They cited a 2023 report which put the USADA testing number at 7,773 samples from 3,011 athletes. They put this number against testing done by other countries highlighting that it is less than half the amount of tests Germany completes with less than half the U.S. budget.

WADA also criticized the fact that in “more than half the sports, there was no in-competition testing carried out at all.” WADA goes on to slam the U.S. for their criticism of other countries. “USADA’s record does not compare favorably up against its peers in other countries. Yet, to distract from these serious issues with the state of the U.S. anti-doping system, USADA apparently tries to undermine U.S. athletes’ confidence in the integrity of their rivals overseas.

The primary concern of the letter was the lack of testing done on NCAA athletes, and the fact that these athletes are not beholden to the WADA testing standards, nor are they expected to meet USADA testing standards. WADA addressed that 75% of U.S. Paris Olympians came from NCAA programs, and that the problem extended beyond the U.S. as many athletes compete in the NCAA and internationally for other countries. They included quotes from USADA President Travis Tygart disparaging the NCAA testing protocols, with Tygart at one point saying foreign athletes were coming to the NCAA for “a doping vacation”.

WADA also addressed the USADA decision to allow athletes with positive tests to compete, acting as confidential informants about other people doping.

The letter called for sweeping reform to the NCAA testing program. “More generally, athletes of the U.S. and their opponents all over the world deserve better protection and support. Therefore, WADA is calling for root and branch reforms of the anti-doping system within the U.S., especially when it comes to college sports.”

USADA’s response came in the form of two letters in November, one that was two-pages from Dr. Smith and one that was six-pages from Travis Tygart.

The letter from Tygart appears first in the pdf posted to the USADA website. He begins the letter criticizing WADA for their lack of collaboration stating “While you state in your Septmeber 6, 2024 letter that you stand ready to collaborate, your actions indicate otherwise, which is regrettable for the collective efforts to support clean athletes and to strengthen the global anti-doping movement.”

Tygart goes on to say that “The concerns raised by CEADO and others in the region about the United States, USADA, and the U.S. program are deeply ironic. The NADOS and RADO that signed the letter would benefit more from focusing on their own programs, and your efforts should be directed to supporting them in that endeavor. notably , over 15% of the signatories of the letter referenced by WADA conducted zero (0) out-of-competition tests according to WADA’s own statistics…

It has become evident that the United States has been singled out for seeking accountability regarding WADA’s lack of enforcement of its own rules following the positive tests of 23 elite-level Chinese swimmers for a powerful performance enhancer in the lead up to the 2021 Games.”

He also addresses the numbers provided by WADA in their “defamatory letter” claiming it is “riddled with falsehoods and gross mischaracterizations.” He is particularly upset about their claim that 90% of American athletes are not in compliance with the WADA code stating their claim is “unfounded and lacks any factual basis.” He says “This figure appears to have been created for effect, as no evidence supports it.”

He then writes that 100% of U.S. Olympians were in full compliance with the testing code, as were all NCAA athletes, even those competing for other countries.

Tygart then shifts the letter to discuss the claims that USADA does not test their athletes enough, and they are not meeting the requirements for in-competition testing. He calls measuring effectiveness of anti-doping efforts through testing “a fool’s errand”, and he calls attention to a document put out by WADA titled ‘Lack of Effectiveness of Testing Programs’, writing “[W]e encourage you to review it, as it provides insights that may help you reassess your position.”

He goes on to defend USADA’s decision to prioritize out-of-competition testing, claiming the approach is “widely recognized as the most effective way to deter and detect dopers, rather than simply increasing testing numbers.” Tygart also discusses the use of “camp testing” by many countries to artificially inflate testing numbers, something that is not done by the United States. He also claims that WADA left out over 6,000 tests “leading to a deceitful representation of [their] efforts.”

The final point he addresses is USADA’s use of informants by allowing individuals with positive tests to compete, directing WADA to a New York Times article quoting former WADA Chief Investigative Officer, Jack Robertson. Robertson acknowledged his role and approval of the use of the athletes “on behalf of WADA”. Tygart points out how this action was, and still is, expressly permitted under the WADA Code, and that “[w]hile your current team has expressed its narrow view of the Code, which USADA believes results in a softening approach to doping, corruption, and fraud, you cannot re-write [sic] history to fit this new, flawed strategy.”

Tygart finishes the letter demanding an apology and immediate retraction of the WADA letter, stating “It is profoundly regrettable that USADA’s strong and collaborative relationship with prior WADA leadership, which spearheaded innovative and creative tactics in the fight against doping, has changed so drastically.”

Smith’s letter was far less inflammatory, but still criticized WADA’s handling of the situation, calling the letter “a baseless and false attack on the integrity of U.S. athletes and their athletic accomplishments”.

Smith ends the letters with a firm statement that the USADA board stands “firmly behind Travis and the entire USADA leadership”. He goes on to make it clear that this situation will not deter USADA from fighting for protection and integrity of athletes in sport in the United States and around the world.

WADA has not directly responded to either of these letters, but at their meeting earlier this month, they discussed consequences and budget modification if the United States determines they will voluntarily decline to provide their annual contribution.