World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Witold Banka has declined an invitation to testify at Tuesday’s Congressional subcommittee hearing on the anti-doping system.
According to a spokesperson for the House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Banka did not provide a reason for turning down the invite. The hearing, titled “Examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics,” will feature testimonies from 23-time Olympic champion Michael Phelps, 10-time Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt, and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart.
Banka was also invited to a hearing before the Sports Committee of the German Bundestag in late May, but he declined due to prior commitments.
Last month, Katie Ledecky said her faith in the Olympic anti-doping system was at an “all-time low” following reports in April that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) seven months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. They were never provisionally banned, and three (Zhang Yufei, Wang Shun, and Yang Junxuan) went on to win Olympic gold medals in Tokyo after their positive tests were chalked up to contamination from their hotel kitchen.
- Related: Three Chinese Swimmers Reportedly Tested Positive Before 2021 Incident, Also Went Unpunished
“(Allegations of) mass doping of Chinese swimmers and a deliberate cover-up by WADA are entirely false,” Banka reportedly wrote to the German Bundestag last month. “The analytical results in these cases were simply not compatible with doping.”
A separate House committee on China called last month for the Department of Justice to investigate WADA’s handling of the 2021 Chinese doping controversy. In April, WADA appointed a Swiss prosecutor to review the case after catching criticism from the White House, USADA, and international swimming federations. Findings are expected to be released right before the Paris Olympics next month. Among the main questions is why the Chinese swimmers were not provisionally suspended after testing positive for TMZ.
The U.S. is a major contributor to WADA, funding almost $3 million of the organization’s $43.4 million budget in 2021. Half of WADA’s funding came from the International Olympic Committee.
Why are US tax dollars being spent on WADA? What do they do exactly? It seems like they are not accountable to anyone.
Notice how every time the US swimmers complain about doping it’s always the harshest towards the Russians and Chinese. Why are they never quick to give the same hate to a European, Oceanic, African, etc athlete? Example: Lily King needs to be hit with a defamation lawsuit for her comments made in 2016 that were basless
The Russians and Chinese are the ones with state sponsored doping programs in their history. It’s exactly the same how people criticized the East Germans, they just no longer exist. This is like a convicted criminal complaining about being called a criminal.
I do hear you on the perception of bias. But in reality, its more so that the doping is not only allowed but somewhat coerced and protected by the states.
Without getting too political, of course every country wants to look its best, but at the same time, they should at least not be caught facilitating the cheating.
Also, a slight counterpoint – nobody was outwardly protecting KENSEY MCMAHON or Lance Armstrong.
Russia was literally banned from the Olympics for doping. They deserve every bit of scrutiny. Have you been paying attention to all the retro medals that are being taking away from them?
As much as I thnk this is yet another shambolic waste of time when congress has been neglecting much more important issues, uh WADA these guys decide if you get paid or not
This is not surprisingly shady. I wonder if congress can subpoena non-citizens.
I mean, the US is one of his organization’s biggest donors. It’s insane that the China nonsense can just happen and nobody has to answer the US (or anyone else) for it. Maybe more nations should come together on this and demand answers.
What’s he got to hide?
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
🔥 🔥 🔥
I think both things can be true
Why go to a clown show of a hearing where they only care about creating headlines and not affecting real change.
Right. Ridiculous. I would decline too.
The Chinese and Russians have him wrapped around their finger.
compromising info?