Dick Pound, one of the founders of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) founders, has denounced recent comments made by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Last month, ONDCP sent a report to Congress asking it to pull approximately $2.7 million in funding from WADA if it does not implement key governance reforms. ONDCP claimed that this was due to many reasons, the most prominent one being WADA’s handling of the Russian doping scandal despite the fact that the organization levied harsh punishments, including a four year ban of Russia from the Olympic Games.
Speaking in a recent interview, Pound commented on the situation stating, “It’s certainly the first time that a major partner who’s been in WADA and played an important role from the very beginning all of a sudden is threatening to take its marbles and go home. It’s really inexplicable. There’s no reason for it. It can do no good in the fight against doping in sport. It’s not really conduct you expect from one of your founding partners.”
“Were I a responsible member of the Congress, I would want to know why a report was submitted to my attention by the executive branch despite the ONDCP’s knowledge that it was replete with factual errors and omissions,” Pound said, “the effect of which was to encourage me to act on the basis of an erroneous and incomplete factual matrix. I would have serious concern that, as a member of the Congress, I had been deliberately misled by the executive branch.”
Pound was the first president of WADA and is a former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee. He is also the chairman of the Olympic Broadcasting Services, the organization that the IOC created to maintain standards of Olympic broadcasting around the world.
Last week, WADA also released its own comments on the situation, disputing several “facts” that the ONDCP presented. In addition to its response, WADA published its 5 year plan to combat doping, which will be implemented from 2020 until 2024.
Thank you for not using the pee picture.
I wonder if WADA is still testing people at the same rate as before and if not are they saving some operational costs during the Covid-19 pandemic?
What have they done that’s too political?
Went after Sun Yang. Political if you’re Chinese.
Canada Australia & UK . UK really went to town to use WADA as an extension of Foreign Policy . It was too obvious for another 5 Eyes to take over so Polish Minister of Sport was the compromise. . Not only is that a conflict of interest but he can’t get the results US wants . Few noticed Polish leader in DC likely grovelling just before the latest US sanctions / withdrawal threat.
West Europe was slow to see the political talons of WADA because they they were treated very favourably e.g. blood doping . A Norwegian lady made a run for leader but got Aged out . No matter she already protected the Norwegian doping system .… Read more »
“I would have serious concern that, as a member of the Congress, I had been deliberately misled by the executive branch.” Hello? Has he been paying attention for the past 3.5 years? He just described the essence of every minute of every day since January 20, 2017
Congress rarely reads the legislation that they bring forth let along anything anyone else provides them. Congress and the Executive branch have been drifting apart for years, that’s why we’ve had a large amount of executive orders to bypass Congress for several decades. Congress has been so partisan for a few decades now that they never get anything done, which in turn results in the executive orders. Since Eisenhower we’ve had between 159 – 484 executive orders during a Presidents term and #45 has 159 at the low end of the spectrum.
I think you have this mixed up. IOC political? Yes. FINA political? Yes. WADA? Certainly not at the same level.
Dick Pound is doing what any leader of an organization typically does and that’s defend it against allegations of wrong doing or negative statements that is contrary to what they either believe or want you to believe.
I believe we should all know by now that “facts” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the 100% truth when it comes to those who release the information and also how it’s interpreted by those who read and report it. There’s probably some middle ground here where reforms could be made and don’t let your dislike of the WH blind you to that.
BTW, I think Swimswam has done a fine job reporting on this topic. The current administration, love it or hate it,… Read more »
“Dick Pound pounds ONDCP over claim that WADA is dicking around.”
Dick Pound with the hard hitting facts.