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≡ WADA vs. USADA ≡
It’s not over. It’s not close to over.
The final day of the 144th IOC Session in Costa Navarino, Greece, was largely about awards and thanks, but importantly also focused on a report from World Anti-Doping Agency President Witold Banka (POL).
Amid positive news of cooperation with law enforcement in the seizure of performance-enhancing drugs in Europe and an expansion of intelligence and investigations efforts on multiple continents, and a much wider educational effort to prevent doping in the first place, there was this:
“I will not rehash the high-profile, no-fault, contamination case involving 23 swimmers from China. I stand by what I have said time and time again.
“At all stages, WADA was confident that it had done the right thing. We fully cooperated with the investigation in our handling of the cases by an independent prosecutor, Mr. Eric Cottier [SUI]. His report conclusively show that WADA had acted correctly and fairly, that WADA showed no bias towards China, that its decision not to appeal to CAS was reasonable and that it followed the rules at all times.
“The rest is politics. Unfortunately, for nearly a full year, a handful of cynical voices have chosen to weaponize this case to follow their political interests.
“As an independent and largely technical organization, WADA has no mandate to be part of those political games. WADA’s role is well defined. Our purpose is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.
“Over the past 25 years, we have worked cooperatively with our partners to build the global anti-doping system. It is an organization unlike any other, the most harmonized legal system in the world, covering nearly 200 countries.
“Its effectiveness relies on cooperation and on all of its stakeholders. So as long as I am President, I will continue to push back against anyone who attempts to tarnish WADA’s reputation for the sole purpose of advancing political interests. This will never change.
“WADA always treats its stakeholders equally and fairly, no matter what country they come from and what sport they play. And our mission is to protect clean athletes, and exclude the cheaters. And we will continue to stand by our values, pursue our mission and do so without fear or favor.”
That Banka had to spend so much time, early in his remarks, about the continuing war of words with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency over the 2021 Chinese swimming mass-positives incident that was publicly disclosed in 2024, indicates that it is not close to a resolution.
There are other anti-doping organizations which are unhappy with WADA’s handling of the case, but who are much quieter about it.
Banka notably mentioned the Cottier report, which gave WADA the answers it was looking for to the carefully-formulated questions he was asked to answer, but also included multiple recommendations to try and prevent another such mess from happening, at least as to how WADA handles cases in the future.
IOC President Thomas Bach (GER), asked at Friday’s news conference if he would try to intervene, replied:
“This is an issue between WADA and the United States and we are informed about contacts which have been established also through and with the [U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee], and I hope and I guess that these contacts will finally contribute to find a solution and to calm down this heated debate.”
This places the issue back on the plate of USOPC Chair Gene Sykes, also an IOC member, who has pledged to try and bring down the temperature, which – for now – appears to still be hot.
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Banka, the former Polish 400 m international who has been the head of WADA since 2020 and is running for a third and final term this year, also spoke about another annoyance:
“By now, you have heard about the dangerous and irresponsible concept known as the Enhanced Games. WADA wholeheartedly condemns it. The health and well-being of athletes is WADA’s no. 1 priority, and this event would jeopardize both.
“As we’ve seen through history, performance-enhancing drugs have taken a terrible physical and mental toll on many athletes. And the values of clean sport must be protected. Athletes serve as role models and WADA believes this proposition would send the wrong signal to young people around the world.
“It would undermine all the values that are at the center of sport, that we love so much. …
“Those athletes who decided to take part in the Enhanced Games risk committing anti-doping rule violations under the World Anti-Doping Code.”
The Enhanced Games, which would allow unlimited use of performance-enhancing drugs, still has no firm date or place, but is projected to be held somewhere in late 2025 or in 2026. It has been universally condemned by the International Federations and participants will face possible bans just for competing in an event which is based on not having doping controls.
If it takes place, it will be a headache for WADA, as well as for new IOC President Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe.
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