Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt went to Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to crack down on doping ahead of the Olympics.
Alongside Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, the Olympians argued why and how the government could sanction the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for its alleged failure to enforce anti-doping rules.
Following reports, WADA confirmed in April, 23 swimmers on the Chinese team tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a performance-enhancing drug, but accepted the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency’s (CHINADA) conclusion that the athletes were exposed due to contamination. Eleven of the athletes involved in the scandal were named to the Paris squad, according to NBC.
“While competing at the highest levels, I witnessed firsthand the widespread uncertainty and suspicion surrounding doping, which significantly impacted my confidence and that of my fellow athletes,” Phelps told lawmakers on the Energy Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. and Chamber Commerce.
Phelps was joined by his wife and newborn son in the audience. Both Phelps and Schmitt expressed fears that allowing doping to go unpunished would “crush” the athletic aspirations of the next generation.
“I think if we allow this to slip any further, the Olympic Games won’t even exist,” Phelps later added.
Lawmakers on all sides have rallied around the goal of seeking accountability from WADA.
“If we allow our confidence in fair play to erode, we undermine our confidence in sports,” said Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), chairman of the subcommittee.
Ranking Member Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Florida) concisely concluded: ““Americans don’t like cheaters.”
This hearing was not the first time that WADA’s practices have been litigated by Congress. In 2017, Phelps and Tygart similarly testified before the committee about the Russian state-sponsored doping scandal at the time. According to Tygart’s testimony, the agency received a 60% increase in its budget to help fund its investigations unit, including $3.7 million in U.S. contributions.
While several lawmakers have highlighted the United States’ contribution to WADA’s coffers as a tool to control the agency, some have also pointed out that Chinese funding could have tipped the scales in its favor.
“The PRC payment influenced your decision-making,” Castor speculated in a series of rhetorical questions.
Tygert clarified to The Hill that although the US is the largest government contributor to WADA, China paid above the required contribution the previous year.
“What do they expect and then pay more that they don’t have to pay, that there is no obligation to pay?” he said.
Tygert made specific requests to Congress: subpoena the Chinese dossier, demand that an independent committee of experts review positive tests that are not considered a violation of the rules, and conduct a full audit of WADA.
In early June, House appropriations included a roughly $1.5 million cut from WADA
“I think it was a really powerful signal that we’re not messing around here anymore,” concluded Tygert. “We need to get WADA to ensure justice around the world.”
WADA President Witold Bańka declined an invitation to testify before the committee alongside Phelps, Schmitt and Tygert.
“It is not appropriate for anti-doping to be politicized in this way. All it does is undermine trust in the system, which ultimately does not benefit athletes in the US or anywhere else,” Bańka wrote in a public statement from the agency.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
