By Amy Tannery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The United States has suspended outstanding payments to the World Anti-Doping Agency through 2024, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy told Reuters on Wednesday, calling for reforms to the global sports watchdog.
The move comes amid a long-running dispute between the United States and WADA over the handling of a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who failed drug tests weeks before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but were allowed to compete. was allowed to do
ONDCP said it “has not yet decided whether to pay the balance to WADA,” which was outstanding as of Dec. 31.
“ONDCP is evaluating all our options as we urge WADA to adopt commonsense reforms to restore confidence in the world antidoping system and provide athletes with full confidence,” director Rahul Gupta said in a statement. Rahul Gupta said in a statement.
“WADA must take concrete steps to restore confidence in the world antidoping system and provide athletes with the full confidence they deserve.”
Gupta began a term as a member of WADA’s 16-member executive committee as a US representative from a public authority in April 2023, and his term was not due to expire until April 2026.
WADA did not directly comment on ONDCP’s statement and did not immediately respond to ONDCP’s stance that it was not a decision on whether or not to pay its bill.
Wada said the unpaid balances totaled $3.625 million.
A WADA spokesman said it had set its 2025 operating budget at $57.5 million, adding that any executive committee member representing a country that failed to pay its annual contribution would automatically resign. loses the seat
An investigator selected by the World Anti-Doping Agency said in July that WADA did not commit misconduct involving Chinese swimmers and repeated those findings in September.
The US Anti-Doping Agency celebrated the ONDCP stance, calling the position “the only true option”.
“After the current leaders of WADA failed to fulfill several very reasonable requests such as an independent audit of WADA’s operations, to achieve the necessary transparency and accountability to ensure that WADA is fit for purpose to protect athletes, the US left no other choice,” USADA CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement.
