The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has not been quiet in the wake of news that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for an illegal substance prior to the Tokyo Olympics and were cleared to compete, and the organization continued to call for transparency on Wednesday.
USADA slammed the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) with a lengthy statement that included them picking apart WADA’s FAQ document published April 29 that aims to address why it handled the Chinese doping case the way it did.
USADA claims WADA has been “doubling down on half-truths and self-serving rationalizations for failing to enforce its own rules” and that those who value fair play are unsatisfied by the agency’s answers regarding “its sweeping of 23 positive tests under the carpet.”
“We echo athletes’ demands to create a truly independent investigation and let impartial experts and stakeholders participate in the process,” USADA said. “We must get real answers, ensure accountability for any failures, and secure true reform at WADA to fulfill the promise we all have to clean athletes and the fairness of sport.”
WADA has come under fire since the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) approximately seven months before the Tokyo Olympic Games and were allowed to compete.
The positive tests were collected at the Chinese Long Course Championships from January 1-3, 2021.
The positive cases were investigated by the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA), which found that the swimmers unknowingly ingested TMZ due to contamination. WADA said it was “not in a position to disprove” those findings.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart has been lobbying Congress for an independent prosecutor to be appointed to the case, a sentiment that was echoed by Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Joe Biden.
However, WADA, a Swiss foundation, picked Eric Cottier, the former attorney for the Swiss canton of Vaud, to investigate the case. This only ratcheted up the volume from USADA’s calls for a “truly” independent review.
In its statement and 16-page document published Wednesday, USADA first runs through “WADA Facts,” things they’ve published regarding the case, and then outlines how these statements break their own rules.
USADA then goes through WADA’S FAQ document point by point and rebuts the answers provided with more questions regarding the case and its handling.
One significant issue USADA has is WADA’s lack of investigation into the source of the positive tests.
“WADA does not know the athletes ingested TMZ from the kitchen; and WADA does not know how TMZ got in the kitchen in the first place,” USADA writes.
WADA consistently says the analytical results indicated a “possible contamination scenario” early in the process.
“WADA keeps saying this, but coordinated doping was equally possible from the outset, particularly given the tips WADA received,” USADA said.
In another rebuttal, USADA writes: “The facts and intelligence also support a finding of coordinated intentional doping such that WADA should have initiated an investigation into the source of these positive tests.
“But it did not, failing all clean athletes. Nothing about the situation in China at the time prevented CHINADA from following the rules and WADA enforcing its own rules. Despite COVID-19 lockdowns around the world, anti-doping organizations continued to notice athletes of violations and impose mandatory provisional suspensions. CHINADA ignored these rules, and WADA permitted it.”
USADA closes the FAQ rebuttal by saying WADA needs to be held accountable.
“If one follows the facts, it is evident that WADA allowed these cases not to be publicly announced in 2021 when the rules required that they be publicly announced. Failing to ensure high profile cases in the weeks before the Olympic Games are publicly announced in accordance with the rules can only be described as WADA covering up those cases.
“Indeed, these cases would remain covered up by WADA had it not been for brave whistleblowers and reporters who rightfully brought these cases to light. WADA needs to be held to account.”
A WADA spokesperson told Reuters the organization stands by the FAQ sheet and that it “followed every process and line of inquiry when reviewing this file.”
“Based on the science and the verifiable facts, as well as external legal counsel, (WADA) decided not to take what inevitably would have been a doomed appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” the spokesperson said, according to Reuters.
“To this day, no evidence has been produced that would change our position on that. Very serious and defamatory allegations continue to be made about WADA without so much as a shred of supporting evidence. WADA continues to reject those allegations as entirely baseless.”
FULL USADA DOCUMENT
[pdf-embedder url=”https://swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USADA-Responses-to-WADA-FAQs.pdf”]
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6g1YQdRKAB/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Pat Forde spoke on the topic as a father this week.
It’s telling that by and large the pro WADA/China posters have not engaged with the content in this article – and this is a common theme on this topic – instead choosing to bring up TUEs, alleged USADA cases and a general persecution complex. These whataboutism arguments are weak and seem to suggest the posters think two wrongs make a right, if the US has been cheating ban athletes, if China has ban athletes.
This post lays out the ways in which WADA did not follow their own rules, that should be horrifying no matter where you’re from.
Yep – pretty accurate description of the commenting in these articles.
You are referring to USADA’s point of view, correct? One you’ve accepted as fact because why? Because USADA says so? Is this not typical U.S. arrogance? Because the U.S. doesn’t like the outcome, the U.S. refuses to accept the outcome and acts like a dog with a bone, refusing to let go. Look around at your Western allies. The ones who made a statement, did so, and then moved on with their lives. And the statements the U.S. didn’t like, the U.S. complained about them. Hate to break this to you, but the rest of the world does not live its life to appease the U.S. Get over yourselves.
This s unhinged.
You’re doing exactly what I’m talking about. There is an actual documented issue from CHINADA and WADA and all you do is scream USADA.
All cheaters should be banned.
And if the outcome completely goes against WADAs rules that’s bad no matter if it’s US or Chinese athletes or anyone else.
There is no ”actual documented issue” from CHINADA and WADA. The case against the 23 Chinese swimmers was settled in 2021. WADA explained why it didn’t reveal the names in a press conference, as well as why it made the decision it did. So what’s the issue? USADA is the issue, and its petulance is flashing like a neon sign.
If the Chinese swimmers were exonerated, exactly which cheaters do you want banned? According to WADA, the 23 Chinese swimmers did nothing wrong, no matter what you, I, USADA, and the rest of the world thinks.
The case against the 23 awimmers were covered up. Hence the issue. It’s funny that you think it is only the USA who takes exception to this. The rest of the world couldn’t care less about the Chinese minority complex ot the USA’s motives, what ever you think they are. We want cheaters erased from the sport and system. So maybe it is you who should get over yourself trying to politicize the issue in an attempt to justify blatant cheating and corruption in a clearly broken system.
It is your opinion, one devoid of irrefutable evidence, that it was a ”cover up.” And it does not matter how many others are likeminded. Your refusal at acceptance is predictable. If you want cheaters erased from the sport and system, best to start in your own backyard, the one filled with TUE abusers. Until that is squeaky clean, any and all accusations are just that, accusations.
I’m just offended that I’ve been called a “Chinese Bot” multiple times
My hot take: Australia tops the medal tally in Paris. However, USA gets 2 silvers behind Chinese swimmers, so they take credit for the golds and claim they topped the medal tally. Someone threatens Cate Campbell and people on here argue about it for 17 years.
I say the Chinese athletes just get TUE’s now, b/c that’s what everyone else is doing!
https://www.npr.org/2016/09/14/493965822/hackers-release-medical-records-of-u-s-olympic-athletes
Will we see a rebranding from WADA to W”AD”A) soon?
wada has explained the process many times, dealt with Sun Yang so many times in 2019 and 2020, and finally banned him. Is it that people think wada is protecting China? How much I praised wada at the beginning, and how much I denigrate wada now, it is really funny, as long as it does not achieve what I want in my heart is completely wrong
Yea I don’t understand how an organization who was hard against China in the past would all of a sudden be biased towards them?
China was probably paying bank back then too…not like 4 years changes that much things
The Times UK published a news “A number of leading international swimmers are considering an unprecedented multimillion-pound lawsuit against the World Anti-Doping Agency over its handling of the case involving 23 Chinese competitors who escaped sanction despite testing positive for a banned substance months before the Tokyo Olympics”. Hope this is true.
Wada obviously breached its duty by not promptly imposing provisional suspension on these athletes pursuant to its Article 7 when 1, no TUE granted; 2 no permitted route, 3, didn’t investigate if there is departure in sample collection and analysis.
Chinada should be the joint defendant for breaching Wada Code for not imposing provisional suspension without establishing athletes hearing panels.
Let’s hope so! Imagine if the athletes bring about change themselves!
That will never happen as no court would have jurisdiction to hear that case. So the swimmers can keep on considering it all they like
I don’t think it will happen. If it does, it’s difficult to win the case since 3 international bodies are aligned, WADA, IOC and WA.
Or they can just not compete in the Olympic.
I’m so sick of hearing about this. They’re not going to ban 23 Chinese swimmers from Paris, and nor should they. So it really doesn’t matter. I’m not even sure it would be legal to reopen a matter that was concluded 3 years ago without irrefutable evidence that some kind of fraud took place.
If it makes you all feel better to keep telling each other how morally righteous you are and how morally despicable the people you don’t like are then go off I guess. But all this is going to achieve is creating an even more toxic than expected environment during the Games.
the most toxic are the cheaters. They’re not gonna stop stealing medals from the clean athletes.
https://www.npr.org/2016/09/14/493965822/hackers-release-medical-records-of-u-s-olympic-athletes
What cheaters?