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5h ago

Senate Panel Demands WADA Reforms Over Chinese Doping Case

The subcommittee endorsed a bill granting the White House power to block U.S. funding if the global anti-doping agency fails to adopt stricter transparency and oversight measures.

Olympic swimmer Katie McLaughlin arrives to testify before a Senate subpanel about the World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday.
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Overview

  • The June 17 Senate subcommittee hearing criticized WADA’s acceptance of China’s contamination explanation after 23 swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
  • WADA officials declined to testify before Congress and defended their conduct by citing a July 2024 independent review that found no bias in the agency’s decision.
  • Lawmakers advanced the bipartisan Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act to grant the White House authority to withhold the United States’ roughly $3.6 million annual dues if WADA fails to adopt new transparency and oversight measures.
  • In 2024 the Biden administration first withheld its full WADA contribution, representing about 6 percent of the agency’s budget, and senators warned funding will remain suspended until meaningful reforms are enacted.
  • USADA chief Travis Tygart testified that as many as 96 Olympic medals could have been impacted by the unpunished Chinese doping cases, underscoring the need for comprehensive reforms.