[Senate Hearing 119-153]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 119-153
WADA SHAME: SWIMMING IN DENIAL OVER CHINESE DOPING
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HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION,
TECHNOLOGY, AND DATA PRIVACY
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JUNE 17, 2025
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
61-520 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington,
ROGER WICKER, Mississippi Ranking
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee GARY PETERS, Michigan
TODD YOUNG, Indiana TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
TED BUDD, North Carolina TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
JOHN CURTIS, Utah BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
TIM SHEEHY, Montana JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia ANDY KIM, New Jersey
CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
Brad Grantz, Republican Staff Director
Nicole Christus, Republican Deputy Staff Director
Liam McKenna, General Counsel
Lila Harper Helms, Staff Director
Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director
Jonathan Hale, General Counsel
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION,
TECHNOLOGY, AND DATA PRIVACY
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee, Chair JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado,
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota Ranking
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
JERRY MORAN, Kansas BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
TODD YOUNG, Indiana EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
JOHN CURTIS, Utah TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Hearing held on June 17, 2025.................................... 1
Statement of Senator Blackburn................................... 1
Statement of Senator Hickenlooper................................ 2
Statement of Senator Cruz........................................ 4
Statement of Senator Cantwell.................................... 6
Statement of Senator Curtis...................................... 40
Witnesses
Travis T. Tygart, Chief Executive Officer, United States Anti-
Doping Agency.................................................. 8
Prepared statement........................................... 9
Dr. Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, President, GATC Health Corp and
former Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, The
White House.................................................... 18
Prepared statement........................................... 19
Kathryn ``Katie'' McLaughlin, former Olympic Swimmer............. 29
Prepared statement........................................... 31
Dianne Koller, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Sport
and the Law, University of Baltimore School of Law............. 32
Prepared statement........................................... 33
Appendix
Letter dated June 13, 2025 to Hon. Marsha Blackburn and Hon. John
Hickenlooper from Gene Sykes, Chairman of the Board and Sarah
Hirshland, Chief Executive Officer, United States Olympic &
Paralympic Committee (USOPC)................................... 45
Response to written question submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to:
Travis T. Tygart............................................. 47
Dr. Rahul Gupta.............................................. 47
Kathryn McLaughlin........................................... 48
WADA SHAME: SWIMMING IN DENIAL OVER CHINESE DOPING
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TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology,
and Data Privacy,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m., in
room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Marsha
Blackburn, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee, presiding.
Present: Senators Blackburn [presiding], Cruz, Curtis,
Hickenlooper, and Cantwell.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN,
U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE
Senator Blackburn. The Committee will come to order. It is
rare that these things start on time, but we are starting on
time. And I want to thank each and every one of you. Thank you
to our witnesses for being here today.
Nearly a year ago I held a press conference with a
bicameral, bipartisan group of colleagues, demanding answers as
to why the World Anti-Doping Agency betrayed its mission and
allowed 23 Chinese swimmers to get away with doping.
Unfortunately, almost a year after the explosive New York Times
report exposing the scandal, WADA has failed to provide
answers. Instead, all that they have provided are threats,
stonewalling, and intimidation.
My message remains the same. My colleagues and I will not
be threatened or silenced for promoting fair play and
advocating for clean sport.
Here are the facts. In 2021, credible allegations emerged
that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance
just months before the Tokyo Olympics. What did WADA do?
Instead of launching a thorough investigation, they turned a
blind eye. They accepted a deeply questionable explanation and
allowed these athletes to go ahead and compete. Many of them
went on to win medals. This was not just a lapse in judgment.
It was a cover-up.
Just as disturbing is WADA's effort to use our own Olympic
bids as leverage. In response to legitimate U.S. Senate
concerns, WADA and the IOC threatened our country's bid to host
the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. And now we have
reports of secretive contract arrangements and backroom deals
between WADA, the IOC, and parties connected to Salt Lake
City's bill, all while WADA's own failures go unaddressed. This
is nothing short of a scandal, and it actually strikes at the
heart of the Olympic spirit.
Fast-forward to today and the World Anti-Doping Agency
refused to appear before this Committee and answer our
questions. Now, WADA's refusal to engage on this issue or work
in good faith with the U.S. leads me to one question: What
exactly are they hiding? Let me remind everyone, the U.S. is
WADA's largest financial contributor. American taxpayers help
fund this agency, and yet WADA has treated our concerns with
disdain and our athletes have been treated with disrespect.
Their pattern of inconsistent enforcement does not stop
with China. From Russia's long history of state-sponsored
doping to weak penalties for other nations, WADA has sent a
dangerous message. If you are an authoritarian regime with a
willingness to bribe and cheat, the rules do not apply to you,
and our door is open.
As we look forward to the 2028 Summer Games in L.A. and the
2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, the stakes could not be
higher. These games must not be tainted by the same corruptions
and cover-ups. American athletes who compete with integrity
deserve to know that their competitors are held to the exact
same high standards.
We have heard from athletes who are tired, tired of
watching cheaters take the podium, tired of the mental and
emotional strain, and tired of institutions who refuse to
protect them. Their voices matter, and today we are listening.
This hearing is about accountability. It is about ensuring
that WADA no longer shields corrupt regimes from consequences.
It is about making sure our athletes can compete fairly and
safely on the world stage. WADA is not above the law, and this
Committee will not rest until the agency is reformed and held
responsible for its failures.
I now recognize the Ranking Member.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN HICKENLOOPER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO
Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you, Chair Blackburn, for
organizing today's hearing. This is our first hearing for the
Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data
Privacy in the 119th Congress. With that in mind, I wanted to
share how much I look forward to working with you, Madam Chair,
on so many of the important issues our Subcommittee oversees,
safeguarding American sensitive data, promoting transparency
and innovation in the artificial intelligence world, elevating
Team USA, and helping collegiate athletics earn fair
compensation, and protecting the Federal Trade Commission, the
Consumer Product Safety Commission from overly influential
efforts from the Executive Branch, and making sure that their
Senate-confirmed commissioners who have been fired are either
swiftly reinstated or replaced.
Today we are going to discuss how to strengthen anti-doping
enforcement, as you have described, about the recent scandals
that have brought a dark cloud over the integrity of Olympic
sports.
I went to my son's graduation a couple of days ago and the
commencement speaker was Katie Ledecky, so I don't have to tell
you what school we were at, and she gave a spectacular speech,
a really impressive, impactful speech.
And my son later pointed out that athletes now are commonly
asked to give commencement addresses because they have been
under the heat lamp of media attention. They have spent a lot
of time explaining themselves and describing circumstances and
situations, and they do a very good job at summing things up in
a way that people can understand, and certainly Katie Ledecky.
If we had more time, I would walk you through the first couple
points she made. Maybe Ms. McLaughlin will help fill it in.
Every four years the world comes together around the
Olympic Games to celebrate and cheer on their players, their
teams. And each year over these four-year periods, we expand
the field of competitions and we attract new fans to stadiums
around the world. We inspire our youth to dream big. Athletes
dedicate their lives, often almost always from a very early
age, for that sole honor of representing their country, in this
case the United States, where they get to wear the red, white,
and blue, and they get to hear our national anthem played in
medal ceremonies.
Among the athletes who competed on behalf of Team USA in
the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, 29 of them call
Colorado home, which we are very proud about. With a proud home
of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee that oversees Team
USA and our Olympic preparations. We are home to the Olympic
and Paralympic Training Center, where we train over 15,000
athletes every year. We are home to the U.S. Olympic Museum,
which displays the original scoreboard from the Miracle on Ice,
for those of you old enough to remember that, the victory over
the Soviet Union. We are home to the U.S. Center for SafeSport,
investigating the instances of substance abuse against
athletes. We are home to many of the governing bodies, the NGBs
for Olympic Sports, and home to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency,
USADA, which enforces doping rules for our athletes.
To ensure fairness and transparency in Olympic
competitions, the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, as Chair
Blackburn has described, they are responsible for enforcing the
anti-doping regulations in international sports federations.
In the months leading up to the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympic
Games, the China Anti-Doping agency, CHINADA, found that 23
Chinese swimming athletes tested positive for banned substance,
trimetazidine. This substance increases stamina and shortens
recovery time, is widely banned as a performance-enhancing
drug. What actions did World Anti-Doping Agency take following
the test? They refused to investigate how China's swimmers
consumed the banned substance. They failed to disclose the
testing results to the public until after The New York Times
broke the news in spring of 2024.
During the Tokyo Olympics, these same swimmers who tested
positive, won several medals including three medals, and
ironically defeated Katie Ledecky, one of the few times she has
lost in a final. Since the fallout the world has, I think it is
fair to say, lost faith in WADA.
In response to the doping scandal, the United States took
decisive action, withheld its $3.6 million contribution to
WADA, the first time the Nation has ever taken this action,
withholding funds. The United States withheld funding to WADA
because their past conduct now raises important questions about
the future of Olympic sports.
In the next few years the United States is hosting the FIFA
World Cup, next summer in 2026, the Summer Olympics in Los
Angeles in 2028, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034,
and countless world championships across several sports. How
can athletes across Team USA and around the world have
confidence that they stand on a level playing field with their
competitors?
The Olympic torch has burned for 129 years to represent
unity, to shine a light on athletic achievement and excellence,
to bring the world together during times of peace, times of
tension. We should not let WADA's misconduct tarnish the next
Olympic Games or rob another member of Team USA from their
rightful place on a podium. Fairness and transparency is what
Team USA and literally every international team deserves and
what this Committee continues to demand.
That is why, on a bipartisan basis, last year we joined
Senators Cantwell, Cruz, Blackburn, and Blumenthal to send one
strong message to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Essentially, we
said enough is enough. WADA must increase transparency in its
investigations and regain the athletic community's trust. We
must shine a light on past misconduct, both in WADA and what
they examine and ensure that U.S. athletes, from Katie Ledecky
to Katie McLaughlin, who is with us today, that they are never
undercut again.
I am pleased that in addition to Ms. McLaughlin, who
proudly represented Team USA in swimming, we are joined by an
expert witness panel of individuals who enforce anti-doping
rules in the U.S., who have represented the U.S. in
international anti-doping deliberations, and are leading voices
in sport law. Just as the United States remains at the
forefront of all-time Olympic medals--2,761, although I don't
need to brag too loudly about it--we also need to lead the
world in transparency and accountability.
Thank you all for coming here, for your testimony, for
taking time out of your busy lives. It means a great deal. I
yield back to the Chair.
Senator Blackburn. And I recognize Chairman Cruz for his
opening.
STATEMENT OF HON. TED CRUZ,
U.S. SENATOR FROM TEXAS
Chairman Cruz. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you for
convening this hearing today.
Sports are more than ``just a game.'' They are a critical
part of our culture that teaches valuable life lessons such as
teamwork, discipline, communication, respect, and perseverance.
Sports are also a cultural unifier that brings Americans
together to cheer on Team USA at the Olympics.
The Olympics provide some of the most iconic moments in
sports history. Who can forget the legendary 1980 ``Miracle on
Ice'' when Team USA Hockey brought home the gold and triumphed
over the Soviet Union? It is one reason why Team USA athletes
are often considered our cultural heroes who inspire the next
generation.
But our athletes did not just wake up one day being able to
compete at an elite level. They earned it from the blood,
sweat, and tears, literally, produced from countless years of
training and sacrifice to pursue their dreams of earning that
coveted title ``Olympian.''
To pursue that dream with confidence, sports require a
culture of integrity built on fair competition and following
the rules of play. When an athlete cheats, it undermines the
value and existence of sports. Cheating can take many forms,
including the use of performance-enhancing drugs, known as
``doping,'' that give an athlete an unfair edge over their
opponents. Doping should have no place in sports. And I would
say I am glad doping is not a major problem in the U.S. Senate,
or else we might have Senators with unusually enlarged tongues
and an ability to be loquacious at a level that was truly
painful.
But it is also why 190 countries, including the United
States, support the World Anti-Doping Agency's mission to
``lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free
sport'' which is mandatory for participation in the Olympic
movement.
In fact, the United States withheld $3.6 million of
taxpayer funding in dues for WADA in Fiscal Year 2024, the most
of any other country, to monitor and enforce against doping in
sports, including at the Olympics. The next highest contributor
is Japan who spends $1.5 million per year, less than half of
what the U.S. pays.
Sadly, confidence in WADA is at an all-time low. Recent
news reports revealed that WADA did not enforce the doping
rules to block 23 Chinese swimmers, who tested positive for
performance-enhancing drugs, from competing in the 2021 Tokyo
Olympics.
WADA's decision to not enforce these rules may very well
have impacted the Olympic swimming competition results for Ms.
McLaughlin, one of our witnesses today, who competed against
these athletes in Tokyo. This not only harms Team USA, but it
undermines the integrity of the doping-free sports mission that
WADA claims to uphold.
In advance of the 2024 Paris Games, Senator Cantwell and I
jointly sent a letter to WADA asking for documents regarding
the 2021 doping scandal. We also called for action to guarantee
fair competition for Team USA at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
WADA not only refused to provide answers to this inquiry,
and other government inquiries, but allowed the same Chinese
athletes to compete again in the 2024 Paris Olympic games
without any consequence.
Shortly thereafter, the International Olympic Committee
announced that Salt Lake City, Utah, would be the host city for
the 2034 Winter Olympic games. News reports indicated that the
IOC, likely in cooperation with WADA, took an unprecedented
move to demand that Utah officials sign a contract to recognize
the ``supreme authority of the WADA'' in order to host the
Olympic games in Salt Lake City.
It is shocking that WADA--whom we rely on to ensure fair
competition--not only refuses to be transparent and
accountable, but appears to have made unfair demands of a
United States city to stymie legitimate Federal investigations
into its role in the swimmer doping scandal.
Last year, I explicitly called for withholding U.S.
taxpayer dollars from WADA until it returns to its mission and
is transparent about its handling of the swimmer doping
scandal. I intend to continue this call.
I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on what else
we can do to ensure WADA is held accountable and that our
American athletes are fully protected. Thank you.
Senator Blackburn. Ranking Member Cantwell, you are
recognized.
STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Chair Blackburn, and thank you
and Chairman Cruz for holding this important hearing. I want to
thank our witnesses for being here.
Congress has a critical role to play to ensure that
America's athletes are provided every opportunity to succeed.
This means committing to a level playing field across all
aspects of sports, from equal pay to anti-doping. In 2022, we
passed the Equal Pay for Team USA Act, that I led with Senator
Capito, which codified equal pay and treatment at the highest
level of competition. This means ensuring our athletes are free
of abuse, mistreatment, by supporting the U.S. Center for
SafeSport and pushing for necessary reforms to ensure the
Center is living up to its potential. U.S. athletes continue to
face another hurdle with the immense amount of work that goes
on into competing at an elite level. We owe it to them to
ensure that it is a fair competition.
I, too, am concerned that the lack of transparency with the
World Anti-Doping Agency demonstrated with the cover-up of the
positive test by Chinese swimmers ahead of the Tokyo Summer
Olympics in 2021, and the lack of accountability WADA has taken
since. We should not have to wait for an investigation
reporting to uncover positive tests from elite athletes. That
is what our anti-doping agencies are supposed to do. But even
in the wake of the press reports, WADA has failed to be
transparent.
Last summer, Chairman Cruz and I wrote a letter to the
anti-doping agency to understand why they did not challenge the
findings from the Chinese anti-doping authority. We also want
to assure that WADA takes additional measures to ensure that
the Paris Olympic Games were fair and free from doping, and
their response to that letter was inadequate. It is a refusal
to participate in what is an important accountability.
I am sure that today that we will hear from witnesses about
this issue. I am sure Katie McLaughlin, who has competed and
exceeded at the highest level of swimming, can speak to how
much effort it takes to stay in compliance with anti-doping
rules. I am glad to see that we have Dionne Koller here today,
whom I appointed to serve as the Co-Chair of the Commission on
the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics, which was established by
Congress in 2020. The Commission, in its 2024 report, found
that the United States Anti-Doping Agency is the model of
success in the Olympic movement, as over three-quarters of the
athletes and coaches reported trusting them as an organization.
This speaks to Mr. Tygart's success in leading that agency. So
thank you to Professor Koller and to the entire bipartisan
commission for your work on this important subject.
To ensure clean sports, USADA receives funding from the
Office of National Drug Control Policy to invest in anti-doping
research. It is because of this research that rigorous
adherence to anti-doping rules, that the U.S. is the leader in
anti-doping. I am concerned that the Trump administration's
severe cuts to scientific research and development could hinder
this impressive work done by the U.S. in anti-doping research.
I hope they will reverse that. Cutting funding for sciences is
the wrong message to the rest of the world and for us to
maintain our U.S. leadership.
I am glad to see Dr. Gupta here. Thank you for being here.
He served in the Biden administration and can speak to the
importance of scientific development to ensure U.S. leadership
in anti-doping.
We have a responsibility to ensure our athletes are able to
compete in the fullest extent of their abilities at the highest
level. To do that, the competition must be fair. As we approach
the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, both hosted by the
United States, we must ensure that the competition will be fair
and free from doping.
We also need to support the cities that are hosting these
games, including Seattle, Kansas City, Houston, Los Angeles,
and have the infrastructure in place for this experience to go
well. That is why Senator Moran and I introduced legislation,
the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities
Act, to provide the grants and other assistance to improve the
regional transportation for those cities. I ask the Chairman to
put this on a bill at the next markup.
So thank you again, Chair Blackburn, and to Ranking Member
Hickenlooper, for holding this important hearing.
Senator Blackburn. I thank the Ranking Member.
I would like to introduce our witnesses today. Mr. Travis
Tygart, our first witness, who is the CEO for the U.S. Anti-
Doping Agency, otherwise known as USADA. USADA manages the
anti-doping program for all U.S. Olympic and Paralympic
Committee recognized sport, national governing bodies, their
athletes, and events.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, our second witness, is President of GATC
Health. From November 2021 to 2025, Dr. Gupta was the Director
of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He
helped coordinate the U.S. anti-doping activities, including
representing the U.S. at the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Ms. Katie McLaughlin, a U.S. Olympian specializing in
freestyle swimming events. She won a silver medal at the Tokyo
2020 Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. Women's 4x200
freestyle relay. Katie is also a three-time gold medalist at
the World Championships, and a three-time NCAA champion.
Ms. Dionne Koller, our final witness, is a professor of law
and Director of the Center for Sport and Law at the University
of Baltimore School of Law. Her academic focus is Olympics and
Amateur Sports Law.
Welcome to each of you. At this time, I recognize Mr.
Tygart for your five-minute statement.
STATEMENT OF TRAVIS T. TYGART, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, UNITED
STATES ANTI-DOPING AGENCY
Mr. Tygart. Thank you. Ninety-six. Ninety-six. That is the
number of medals that were potentially impacted at the 2021 and
2024 Olympic Games--96. This includes 18 American medals, 14 of
which were potentially gold. These 96 medals were potentially
impacted by China, sweeping dozens of positive tests on their
elite-level swimmers under the rug, while the global regulator,
the World Anti-Doping Agency, otherwise known as WADA, did
nothing about it.
Madam Chairwoman, members of the Committee, thank you for
the opportunity to be here to discuss how we can protect the
rights of American athletes and fairness in all Olympic and
Paralympic competition. Unfortunately, we find ourselves once
again at a crossroads for the soul of sport. Fairness,
integrity are yet again under attack by the failures of the
global anti-doping system.
The urgency to act has never been greater, given that we,
right now, are in the golden age of international sport in the
United States. Major events, as we have already heard, like
next summer's FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympic and
Paralympic Games, the 2034 Winter Games, are all coming to the
United States. It is our time, and we all know that a home
field advantage is important. But it does not overcome a doped
field advantage, and America will be robbed again if we don't
act and get WADA straight.
This moment is not just about medals. It is about
showcasing America's values and excellence. We are going to
welcome the world and celebrate our commitment to fairness, to
equal opportunity and clean competition.
Athletes, like Katie who you are going to hear from, and
their powerful stories, are our shining light. They are our
North Star. This is why we are here pleading for help, to allow
athletes to have a level playing field, and ensure America
fulfills the promise of a fair mega-decade of sport in the
United States.
This China scandal is happening on the heels of the Russia
state-sponsored doping scheme. It is no wonder why the world's
athletes are incensed once again. And Madam Chairwoman, how
does WADA respond? Instead of acknowledging and fixing its
failures, WADA has dug in to protect the Chinese and its
backroom secret decisionmaking process. If WADA had any
legitimate answers, they would be here. This is the third time
they have been invited but declined to come to Congress.
So what can be done? First, WADA must disclose the entire
Chinese TMZ dossier. Justice for athletes demands it. Second,
the time for blind trust in WADA is over. WADA must be audited
by independent experts.
Finally, Madam Chairwoman, members of the Committee, WADA
must be independent. One of the core principles of an effective
anti-doping system is it must be free from sports influence.
You cannot have the fox guarding the henhouse. It is a concept
that is as simple as it is effective.
Unfortunately, WADA is not independent. WADA promised the
U.S. it would make their President and Vice President
independent. They have betrayed that promise and they did a
classic bait and switch. We should continue to hold U.S.
funding until this promise has been delivered.
In the first Trump administration, the White House took
three impactful steps. First, working in a bipartisan way with
Congress, authority was granted to ONDCP to withhold U.S.
taxpayer funding unless WADA reformed and did its job. Also,
the White House convened a landmark global summit on WADA and
brought the world together, seeking change. Last, President
Trump signed into law a very bipartisan Rodchenkov Anti-Doping
Act, that allowed the prosecution of those who prey on
athletes, such as coaches, trainers, doctors, and dirty
officials.
These actions sent a clear message, that the U.S. will not
allow American athletes to get robbed, and that U.S. taxpayers
will not continue to bankroll a broken system. We must continue
to build on the momentum for change in a bipartisan way. We
should work with our domestic partners, such as the United
States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, domestic sponsors,
including Comcast, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Visa, and
others. Also, a coordinated government strategy with Congress,
ONDCP and the State Department, working with our government
partners and allies around the world to fix WADA.
As the host of the upcoming games, the IOC and
international sport are going to be expecting a lot from us.
Congress and the White House should ensure the investment we
are making into hosting these events is properly insured to
protect the right of American athletes to win the right way on
our home soil. We do not want to fund fraudulent games.
Let me be very clear--we need a strong WADA. We support the
mission. But we need a WADA that is truly independent, a global
regulator, not a lapdog to interest other than anything besides
clean athletes and fairness in sport.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter and
we look forward to your questions, but also ways we can
continue to help fix this global system. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Tygart follows:]
Prepared Statement of Travis T. Tygart, Chief Executive Officer,
United States Anti-Doping Agency
Madame Chairwoman, members of the Committee, good morning. My name
is Travis T. Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency
(USADA), a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, incorporated in Colorado. I want
to thank this Committee for its interest in clean sport and for the
opportunity to appear before you to discuss how we can better protect
the rights of athletes and the fairness of Olympic and Paralympic sport
competition around the world.
I want to speak to the Committee not only about the significant and
urgent threat facing clean athletes and fair sport, but also the very
feasible solutions to the current crisis.
Once again, we find ourselves at a critical juncture for the soul
of sport. Fairness and integrity in athletic competition--two
principles at the very heart of why we play sports--are under attack.
We need to act now to ensure accountability, justice for athletes, and
reforms at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). These reforms are
necessary to protect the rights of clean American athletes and to
preserve a level playing field. If we don't, we will be committing an
unacceptable injustice to today's athletes, fans, and sponsors who
believe in and invest in fair and clean competition. And equally
intolerable, we risk undermining the dreams of tens of millions of
youth all around the world who rely on the global anti-doping system to
protect their ability to compete clean, safe, and on a fair playing
field, not one stacked against them in favor of WADA's chosen few.
The urgency to act could never be greater given the collapse in
confidence in WADA right as America is preparing to host many major
international competitions over the next 10 years, including the 2026
FIFA World Cup, the 2028 LA Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, and
the 2034 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.
We all know a home-field advantage does not overcome a doped field
advantage and we will get robbed again if we don't act now! America
isn't just hosting competitions--it's setting the standard. This moment
isn't just about medals and trophies; it's about showcasing American
values and excellence, welcoming the world, and reaffirming our
commitment to fairness, opportunity, and clean competition.
We view athletes--and their powerful stories--as USADA's guiding
light, our North Star. Their stories give us hope, they remind us of
our purpose, and they fuel us to continue to advocate for their right
to clean and fair competition. This is why we have been outspoken about
the failures of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and WADA more
broadly. This is why we are here today pleading for help to fix this
mess and allow all athletes to truly have a level playing field. The
system meant to protect clean sport needs to regain the trust of
athletes who compete clean. Athletes must believe that the global
regulator will have their back and change the rules to make them fair
for athletes, not secretly change how they apply the rules to serve
their own interests.
Candidly, Madame Chairwoman, enough is enough. For clean athletes,
it is yet again Groundhog Day, and this WADA horror show has run too
long. As many of you may recall, in 2017, The House Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee held a hearing where we, alongside Olympic medalists,
Michael Phelps and Adam Nelson, testified about WADA's ineffectiveness,
lack of leadership, and conflicted governance. We called for change
then due to WADA's inept handling of the Russian state-sponsored doping
scandal that robbed hundreds of athletes from around the world and
stole their dream of Olympic and Paralympic success.
In that devastating Russian affair, which is still on-going, WADA
hoped to simply limit the damage, pacify Russia, and put the whole
corrupt scheme in the rearview mirror. At that 2017 hearing, WADA
supplied excuse after excuse for not uncovering Russia's drug program
earlier and then leaned on technical justification for its failure to
handle it `effectively' after courageous whistleblowers exposed it to
the press.
Also, as you may recall, in early 2020, this Committee held a
hearing to discuss what could be done to fix WADA to protect American
athletes and ensure a fair and clean 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic
Games. And, today, here we are again seeking answers after another
scandalous affair.
New Revelations of WADA's Failure.
Thanks again only to courageous whistleblowers and the media, the
world has learned once again of WADA's failures and, that on the eve of
the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, WADA sat back and allowed China to
disregard the rules and sweep 23 TMZ positive cases under the rug.
These were not low-level athletes, these were the elite of the elite,
the best of the best. And 13 of these swimmers who tested positive
represented China in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Chinese
swimming team won 13 medals, including 8 gold, at these Games. Worse
yet, 11 of the TMZ 23 competed as part of the Chinese Olympic swim team
at the 2024 Paris Games. A total of 96 medals were potentially impacted
by these Chinese swimmers in the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games with 18
being from the United States including 14 potential gold medals. Clean
American athletes trained for years, only to be potentially robbed on
the world's biggest stage.
Make no mistake, TMZ or trimetazidine is a potent performance-
enhancing drug. It is banned at all times, not just during competition,
due to the benefits it can give athletes in recovery and training. The
prescribed sanction for testing positive for TMZ is a 4-year sanction.
It is a controlled prescription drug not available in many parts of the
world, including in the United States. It is not found in the water
supply, the environment, or in any food or food ingredient. And it is
not given to cattle or other livestock in the meat supply.
At the 2017 House Energy & Commerce hearing, WADA testified that
they needed an investigations team, using the lack of one as an excuse
for failing to uncover the Russia state-sponsored doping scheme. Well,
they got their wish for a big investigations team and a 65 percent
increase in their annual budget to help fund investigations. U.S.
taxpayers provide a significant part of WADA's budget, more than $3.6
million each year. In fact, the U.S. is the single-highest payor of all
the public authorities. Despite this large and experienced
investigations team and new funding, WADA's investigators did not lift
a finger to investigate these Chinese TMZ positives even with glaring
evidence staring them in the face.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ ``It should be noted that at the time of the events (i.e., from
March to August 2021) the I&I Department was not involved in the
handling of the case.'' Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23
Chinese Swimmers. Translated by World Anti-Doping Agency, 10, Sept.
2024, www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/
202408_final_cottier_report_english_translation.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shockingly, since 2018, China has paid an extra $1.8 million, well
over its required annual dues which are dramatically less than the U.S.
annual dues. Out of the extra payments to WADA, China earmarked $500K
specifically for Investigations and Intelligence work. As of May 2023,
WADA has also entered into a partnership agreement with ANTA, a Chinese
sports equipment company, for an undisclosed amount. This Chinese
company has been a key sponsor of the Chinese Olympic Committee and 25
Chinese national teams, including the Chinese National Swimming Team.
WADA's relationship with China raises even deeper concerns given that
WADA's Vice President is a Chinese sport representative and just one
day after CHINADA sent WADA their decision to disregard the rules and
sweep the 23 TMZ positives under the rug, WADA's Director General and
Senior Director of Science and Medicine had a phone call with the
Chinese Vice Minister of Sport, a member of the WADA Foundation
Board.\2\ And, while no evidence of a quid pro quo has surfaced, the
appearance of a conflict is quite troubling given these extra payments,
WADA leadership's failure to involve its Intelligence and
Investigations Team, and its obvious closeness with top leaders of
Chinese sport and government.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See Exhibit 1--Cottier Interim Report Annex, Summary of the
Main Investigative and Analytical Acts carried out by WADA from the
receipt of CHINADA's decision to the decision not to file an appeal
(15.06.2021-31.07.2021), 1, July 2024.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
On top of that, Madame Chairwoman, these 23 TMZ positive cases came
on the heels of WADA deciding to close an investigation into
allegations of systemic doping in China during which they found the
whistleblower to be credible.\3\ This whistleblower is a defector from
China now living in Germany. She met with WADA investigators and
informed them that, according to WADA's own investigations report,
China was giving its athletes TMZ for performance-enhancing purposes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ See Exhibit 2--WADA Investigation and Intelligence Report on
Allegations by Chinese Whistleblower of systemic doping in China.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little over 9 months after this report, WADA received notice of
23 Chinese athletes' positives for low levels of TMZ. And yet, WADA
still claims to not have had enough evidence to even open an
investigation. Incredible. It is the Keystone Cops at their worst. WADA
handcuffed and blindfolded themselves. Their inaction will forever
haunt athletes who competed against the 13 swimmers in the 2021 Tokyo
Olympic Games, as well as those who competed against 11 of those same
Chinese swimmers in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ See Exhibit 3--Letter to CHINADA of June 5, 2024 in which USADA
offered assistance to CHINADA for transparency in this matter. We have
genuine empathy for the 23 Chinese athletes, as the system failed them
and now they are under a cloud of suspicion. Also, those Chinese
athletes that competed against the 23 rightfully deserved the wins and
any associated money or prizes from the event at which the 23 tested
positive. If the rules would have been enforced as required, and these
positive tests truly resulted from contamination, the Chinese athletes-
without positive tests-would have been reallocated to their rightful
place in that event since disqualification of the 23 athletes was
mandatory.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Has Been WADA's Response to These Revelations?
Instead of acknowledging mistakes and failures, WADA dug in to
protect the Chinese and WADA leaders' secret decision making. Shortly
after the news broke, at WADA's global press conference, WADA President
and former Polish Sports Minister, Witold Banka stated, ``at every
stage, WADA followed all due process and diligently investigated every
lead and line of inquiry in this matter. If we had to do it over again
now, we would do exactly the same thing.''\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ World Anti-Doping Agency. ``WADA Publishes Media Conference
Recording Regarding Environmental Contamination Case of Swimmers from
China.'' World Anti-Doping Agency, 22 Apr. 2024, www.wada-ama.org/en/
news/wada-publishes-media-conference-recording-regarding-environmental-
contamination-case-swimmers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, facing a global demand for accountability by the United
States and others, WADA scrambled to stage-manage its response,
parading out what it boldly labeled an ``independent prosecutor's
report'' on its handling of the Chinese TMZ positives. But the so-
called independent investigation was stifled from the start. The scope
of the investigation was severely restricted, and as the WADA
investigator, Mr. Cottier even acknowledged in the report, ``the sense
of justice or injustice, however, goes far beyond the scope of this
investigation.'' \6\ Even so, the information that Mr. Cottier gathered
clearly showed that China did not follow the rules and WADA leaders
stepped aside to allow this to happen. WADA's hand-picked investigator
concluded:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23 Chinese Swimmers.
53.
``CHINADA's handling of the case had deviated significantly and
fundamentally from the procedures laid down in anti-doping
standards, that these deviations were particularly serious
given that they had enabled the athletes concerned--in the
absence of an appeal by WADA--to benefit from an absence of an
ADRV (as well as an absence of any consequences). . . .'' \7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23 Chinese Swimmers.
32.
On top of the failure to enforce the rules, any justification China
gave for these cases being mass contamination is faulty at best and a
complete lie at worst, one that WADA willingly accepted and
regurgitated as it attempted to pull the wool over the world's eyes in
an effort to defend why it allowed China to sweep these positives under
the rug. However, the science did not solely justify this reasoning,
anti-doping scientists called China's and WADA's conclusions ``not
intellectually honest,'' and Cottier's scientist said the following in
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
his WADA funded report:
``On the basis of these pharmacokinetic data alone, it is not
possible to rule out intentional (or unintentional) intake of
TMZ for doping or therapeutic purposes in the weeks leading up
to the competition . . . I see no scientific argument of a
pharmacokinetic nature in favor of one hypothesis over
another.'' \8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23 Chinese Swimmers.
25.
Unbelievably, WADA was telling the world a different story. In a
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CBS News report and elsewhere, WADA stated:
``compelling scientific evidence that pointed EXCLUSIVELY
(emphasis added) to the fact that this was a case of no-fault
contamination and not doping. WADA followed every process and
line of inquiry when reviewing this file.''
Further, WADA, by its letter of July 9, 2024, informed this
Committee that the science, specifically the fluctuating positive-
negative-positive (and, negative-positive-negative) of the Chinese
athletes tests, confirmed contamination stating in this same letter,
``the positive-negative fluctuations were also inconsistent with
deliberate prior use and consistent with low-level food
contamination.''
However, even the scientist retained by WADA's self-selected
reviewer found this false stating, the ``sequence of positivity/
negativity of each athlete's samples . . . makes it impossible to
distinguish between athletes who may have intentionally taken TMZ in
therapeutic doses well before the competition, and those who may have
been contaminated in situ in the hotel by food/drink containing low
doses of TMZ.'' \9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23 Chinese Swimmers.
26.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
No source of contamination was ever found by the Chinese.\10\ And
yet, WADA accepted this flimsy excuse and launched attacks on anyone
brave enough to question the charade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ ``The Chinese had not found anyone on the kitchen or hotel
staff taking TMZ. . .No traces of TMZ were found inside the containers,
nor in the food itself.'' Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23
Chinese Swimmers. 19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It would be easier to believe that WADA's failure was a mistake and
not an intentional and systemic willingness to grant special treatment
to China had WADA not done the same thing at least three other times
for China in the last couple of years. As media also revealed, two
separate elite Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance
in late 2022 and were secretly, in violation of the mandatory rules,
cleared of doping based on a contaminated hamburger theory.\11\ One of
these athletes went on to win a bronze medal in the Paris Olympic Games
ahead of five Team Canada relay athletes who could potentially claim
today that they are Olympic medalists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ See Exhibit 4--Schmidt, Michael S., and Tariq Panja. ``Top
Chinese Swimmers Tested Positive for Banned Drug, Then Won Olympic
Gold.'' The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/
us/politics/china-swimmers-doping-food.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Even more recently, WADA again showed its true colors by first
appealing the case of Jannik Sinner, the world's number one ranked
tennis player who tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol.
After rattling the saber and appealing for a sanction of 1-2 years
under the rules, WADA capitulated and agreed at the final hour to drop
its appeal and settle for a brief 3-month suspension through a rarely
used provision allowing WADA to agree to resolutions otherwise outside
the rules. This isn't justice--it's unfair and unequal enforcement by
the global regulator. When defending itself from wide-criticism by the
world's top tennis players, WADA revealed for the first time that this
provision has been used at least 67 times.\12\ These backroom deals--
apparently close to 70 in just four years since the provision was
enacted--barely, if ever, see daylight.\13\ Meanwhile, even the WADA
Executive Committee and Foundation Board are also left in the dark,
with apparently only 13 of these cases disclosed in detail in their
meeting documents. Transparency? Only when it suits them. Fairness? No,
as a handful of people at WADA grant certain athletes, certain
countries, secret and special treatment under the rules.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ See Exhibit 5--Nick Kyrgios called it a ``sad day for tennis''
and declared that ``fairness in tennis does not exist.'' Stan Wawrinka
was just as blunt, saying, ``I don't believe in a clean sport anymore.
. .'' Daniil Medvedev said, ``I hope everyone can discuss with WADA and
defend themselves like Jannik Sinner from now on.'' And the
Professional Tennis Players Association, co-founded by Novak Djokovic
and Vasek Pospisil, issued a sharp statement: ``Supposed case-by-case
discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair
treatment, and inconsistent rulings.'' ESPN News Services. ``Jannik
Sinner Doping Deal 'Sad Day for Tennis'--Nick Kyrgios.'' ESPN, 15 Feb.
2025, www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/43858770/jannik-sinner-doping-
deal-sad-day-tennis.
\13\ See Exhibit 6--Axon, Iain. ``WADA Settlement on Three-Month
Ban Not Unique to Sinner Case, Says Chief Counsel.'' Reuters, 19 Feb.
2025, www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/wada-settlement-three-month-ban-
not-unique-sinner-case-says-chief-counsel-2025-02-19/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
WADA lacks the will and determination to do things right.\14\ In
May of 2024, immediately prior to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, WADA
lawyers informed top management that massive database issues were
plaguing WADA's system; more than 900 athlete testing results that
showed the presence of a banned substance were not showing up in WADA's
database. Over 1,700 cases had information linking samples to
individual athletes missing, and another 750 didn't have enough
information to connect them with any athlete.\15\ And yet, until the
New York Times broke the story, leaders at WADA would have apparently
continued to keep the world's athletes, the public, and even the WADA
Executive Committee and Foundation Board in the dark. This cannot
continue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ See Exhibit 7--Schmidt, Michael S., and Tariq Panja. ``WADA
Faces Trust Crisis Amid Doping Database Concerns.'' The New York Times,
27 Sept. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/09/27/world/wada-doping-database-
crisis.html.
\15\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This level of disregard for athletes worldwide, and outright
dereliction of their charter hasn't been the exception at WADA;
recently, it has been the norm. Cottier, in his review of the TMZ 23
even found this to be true, stating that ``Keeping track of the
Agency's work and activities has been very complicated and tedious.
Establishing a chronology has been a long and complex process, full of
uncertainties.'' \16\ He further criticized WADA's dysfunction:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ Cottier, Eric. Final Report on the Case of 23 Chinese
Swimmers. 54.
``the non-existence of the file--is unsatisfactory . . . The
Agency should formalize the handling of cases by creating files
that include a structure, a nomenclature, a summary document, a
``living chronology.'' This should cover everything from file
opening to file closure. In particular, the latter should take
the form of a formal memo, other than an e-mail circulated by
the Director of the Legal Department within the Agency.'' \17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ Id.
And though WADA hopes our memories are short, let us not forget
WADA's egregious mishandling of cases in the sport of weightlifting
which was also exposed by whistleblowers and the media. We know, based
on the ITA Report on Anti-Doping Violations in the International
Weightlifting Federation (IWF), that WADA failed to successfully follow
up on 146 international weightlifting cases between 2009-2019 such that
elite level weightlifters competed at major international competitions
including the Olympic Games and World Championships with pending
positives. Some athletes escaped justice completely as a result of
WADA's failure to oversee these cases which resulted in the tolling of
the statute of limitations, giving cheating athletes a free pass.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ International Testing Agency. Final Report: Anti-Doping Rule
Violations and related allegations of misconduct from 2009 to 2019. 24
June 2021, https://ita.sport/resource/ita-report-on-iwf-anti-doping-
rule-violations-and-related-allegations-of-misconduct-from-2009-to-
2019/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is even more shocking to know that the President of the IWF
during this time, Tamas Ajan, was also a founding WADA board member and
sat on the WADA Foundation Board-the main decision-making body of WADA-
from its inception until 2018.
Doping Threat is Universal.
To be clear, the threat of doping is a global problem, and the U.S.
is not immune. As a nation of laws established on the ideals of
justice, fairness and equality, the United States Olympic and
Paralympic movement must lead the way and ensure we are doing
everything we can do to set an example and protect athletes so that
their decision to compete by the rules is honored. And, so that they
can be the true heroes that they are when competing here at home and
representing America in competitions around the globe. Clean athletes
in many ways are the best example of our values and the importance of
our principles when they compete and win the right way. These are the
same Olympic and Paralympic values and it's why we have asked for
answers.
There are widely accepted core principles of an effective anti-
doping program--the application of year-round, no-advance-notice, out-
of-competition testing, certified labs, an active scientific research
program to stay ahead of the cheaters, and a proactive, preventative
education program for all athletes. But the most important part of the
criteria is the idea that an effective anti-program must be free from
the influence of sport and individual government interests. It must be
independent.
The word `independent' is thrown around a lot in the global Olympic
and Paralympic movement. From our experience and perspective, however,
the only true definition of `independence' is that those who govern or
otherwise make decisions affecting others cannot have any actual or
perceived interest in the outcome of their decision. We are proud of
the fact that no one on the USADA Board can also serve in a paid or
voluntary governing or employment position for any organization for
which we administer an anti-doping program or for the government. Many
of you have heard me say that you cannot have the fox guarding the
henhouse. It is a concept that is as simple as it is effective.
Unfortunately, WADA is not independent. The International Olympic
Committee (IOC) pays half its budget; controls many governing seats and
appointments and can essentially control WADA's decisions. It is ``pay
to play'' for sport. Governments of the world, including the U.S., pay
the other half of WADA's budget.
As it stands, WADA's governance structure allows for its board
members to serve in an executive capacity for sports organizations
simultaneously. For example, during the Russian affair, WADA's
President was also an IOC member and even served as an IOC Executive
Board member while also serving as WADA President. WADA staff have
admitted to not informing its Executive Committee of its decision to
allow China to hide the 23 positive tests, acknowledging it did not do
so to protect itself from public scrutiny. WADA has failed to answer
whether the WADA President, or Vice President from China, were directly
involved with the decision on the TMZ 23 and the more than 900 lost
cases, or if the IOC, WADA's largest single-funder, was involved, or
when they were made aware of decisions.
But at WADA, with last month's Presidential and vice-presidential
process, there was no real election. There was only a coronation. No
open, competitive election, no other candidates, no willingness to
speak about the vision for the future. Just WADA extending the
incumbents term in office and allowing the handpicked heirs to continue
to refuse needed reform. Athletes deserve better.
With this election, WADA broke good governance practices and conned
America and the entire world. As this Committee may recall from its
2020 hearing, U.S. Appropriators began to include legislative language
accompanying the U.S. dues requiring WADA governing boards to become
more independent and incorporate athletes' voice and vote. WADA also
went through two formal, global `reform processes' where a special
governance working group was established to consult with stakeholders
through surveys and in-person meetings. The sole purpose of these
elaborate, expensive processes was to reform WADA to make it more
effective and independent.
Arising out of these processes, sparked by the U.S. demands for
independence, WADA agreed to change and make the WADA President and
Vice President independent positions, not ones appointed from sport and
governments, as was the status quo. This reform was applauded by
stakeholders including the U.S. and was supposed to take effect at the
start of 2026.
However, even after these lengthy `reform processes' where
agreement was had for WADA to become more independent by making the
WADA President and Vice President positions independent ones, in a
closed-door meeting in May 2023, WADA leaders unilaterally disregarded
the world's position and agreed to extend the term limits for the
current government and sport appointed WADA President and Vice
President. So, late last month, the former Polish Sports Minister and
current WADA President and the Chinese sport appointment WADA Vice-
President, will be appointed for another 3-years; thereby, delaying the
installation of an independent President and Vice President until 2029,
at the earliest.
WADA made an agreement to become more independent, received the
U.S. funding at the time, and then backed out of the deal. Classic
`bait and switch'.
If the IOC were to remove themselves and other sports organizations
from critical anti-doping functions--the anti-doping landscape would be
exponentially stronger. Clean athletes could trust the global system
and be much better protected. Sport involvement in critical anti-doping
enforcement is a glaring conflict of interest, and we know from
experience that it's too much to expect any organization to effectively
promote and police itself.
There is renewed hope with Kirsty Coventry's recent election to
lead the IOC--an indication that real change might still be possible--
but only time will tell, and time has pretty much already run out for
clean athletes.
So, What can be Done?
USADA believes multiple solutions can be pursued to ensure
accountability, transparency, and justice for athletes.\19\ First and
foremost, American tax dollars shouldn't fund secrecy and double
standards. We must continue to demand real transparency and tie every
penny of funding to truth and accountability, not polished PR and anti-
American attacks. That is how we stand up for clean sport and for the
values this country was built on. This starts with the China dossier.
Congress must require the entire China dossier, with all of the testing
and scientific documents be made public. There are no credible reasons
the entire dossier cannot be published. Anything less than that will
not satisfy those who want to ensure justice for all athletes involved.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ See Exhibit 8--Letters from U.S. Athlete Committees and ONDCP
Director Dr. Gupta to WADA President Banka. All USADA's requests are
consistent with what U.S. athletes and ONDCP have also asked for.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Second, the time for blind trust is over--WADA must also be
audited, and the curtain pulled back on the performance behind the
podium. As the global regulator, WADA has compliance powers and a large
staff to perform audits, as it chooses, on other anti-doping
organizations. WADA alone goes un-audited and unaccountable. Like
athletes and anti-doping agencies around the world and throughout the
WADA Code, including in Code Article 20.7, WADA has detailed roles and
responsibilities. It has been over 25 years, and it is time for WADA to
finally go through an independent, legitimate compliance audit of its
roles and responsibilities under the WADA Code. Athletes and most anti-
doping organizations are supposed to all be held to the strictest
compliance standard by WADA, so it's time that WADA is also held to the
standards in place for them.
For example, even though WADA admits that CHINADA did not follow
mandatory rules of the World Anti-Doping Code in its handling of the
TMZ 23 positives, shockingly, WADA did not appeal the cases wrongly
handled or conduct a compliance investigation or otherwise hold CHINADA
accountable for its deliberate and blatant failure to follow the
mandatory rules as is WADA's role under the World Anti-Doping Code.
Third, the U.S. should not allow WADA to hustle us or the world by
breaking its promise to install a truly independent WADA President and
Vice President at the start of 2026. Allowing them to insult the world
and good governance practices in this way should not be condoned but
rejected. We should only restart our WADA dues payment when there is an
independent WADA President and Vice President in the seats as was
promised by WADA years ago.
Fourth, we should support the current Administration through ONDCP
and the State Department and non-government partners like the United
States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to collaborate with
other willing national and international partners to unite behind
requiring WADA to do the right thing for the right reasons for athletes
in a fair, transparent, and accountable way as has been discussed
today. Of course, we are for collaboration and working together with
WADA to achieve a strong, fair, and effective global anti-doping
system.
Up until late 2014, WADA and USADA worked hand and hand together
and many of the successes were achieved in lock step with WADA and
others around the world. We continue to stand ready to work with WADA
and have reached out to them to have a constructive dialogue on the
Chinese file to attempt to find common ground and a way forward.
Unfortunately, despite repeated requests, WADA leaders refuse to meet
even with intermediaries present and instead, only attempt to rewrite
history on the Chinese file, divert, attack, and refuse to answer basic
questions.
Finally, WADA must set up an independent expert committee that
makes the decision on all positive tests that do not result in an anti-
doping rule violation and public announcement.\20\ The rules require
this in all positive cases of this type and WADA has now finally
admitted that China should have determined these 23 TMZ cases to be
violations and therefore should have announced them back in 2021. This
is a necessary check, to balance the power.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ See Exhibit 9--White Paper Written by Legal Expert, Steve
Teitler from the Netherlands Anti-Doping Authority.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since WADA leadership did not inform the WADA Executive Committee
about the decision to let China circumvent the rules, we should require
that the WADA Executive Committee must be notified of all of these
types of decisions. It can't be that a couple of WADA insiders in
secret backrooms are allowed to pick and choose which countries and
athletes have to follow the mandatory rules, and which ones get to
follow an unwritten set of rules.
Momentum for Reform but America Must Lead.
Despite global pleas and countless opportunities for
accountability, WADA has slammed the door on transparency, deaf to the
chorus of athletes and nations demanding the truth. If WADA truly
believes in accountability and transparency, then an audit should be a
welcome step, not a threat. Until then, every excuse sows more doubt
across the world. The time for scripted statements is over. The world
is watching and it's time for the truth.
With broad support in the U.S., including from USADA, ONDCP under
the steadfast leadership of Dr. Rahul Gupta and professional staff,
Debbie Seguin, Rich Baum, and Anthony Jones, the Biden White House did
the right thing and made 2024 U.S. funding to WADA conditional on
several important outcomes including: WADA submitting to an independent
code compliance operational audit; WADA dropping the ethics complaint
it filed against Dr. Gupta in his role as a WADA Executive Committee
member and the defamation lawsuit against USADA; WADA attending an in-
person meeting with U.S. sports and anti-doping stakeholders; WADA
suspending efforts to issue sanctions and consequences for
``Voluntary'' Public Authorities' non-payment of WADA dues; and, WADA
implementing the Executive Committee Working Group Recommendations
following the release of the Cottier Report.
WADA did not agree, and the U.S. payment was rightfully withheld by
the U.S. government for 2024.
We are all disappointed that WADA has continuously declined to
testify before any U.S. Congressional Committee and continues to
double, even triple down, on deflecting fault and pointing fingers at
the United States. In response to the legitimate questions, WADA again
levied allegations that those from the U.S. were politically motivated
against WADA, implying that these facts of the Chinese 23 TMZ cases
were somehow made up. There was a clear violation of the rules, and
WADA chose to do the politically expedient, rather than their job, and
avoid answering the basic questions. It is also disappointing to
repeatedly hear comments by the WADA President where he has the
audacity to throw U.S. athletes under the bus by attempting to
discredit their hard work and integrity. WADA has gone so far as to
throw baseless lawsuits and ethics complaints against USADA and the
former White House Director of National Drug Control Policy, Dr. Gupta.
Both of these were tactics to weaponize the legal process against truth
seekers. These were new lows, especially for a supposed ``values''
based integrity organization. It seems clear that WADA will apparently
stop at nothing to avoid accountability so that they can retain the
power to decide which countries and athletes get special treatment.
The U.S. is not alone in this assessment and concern. In 2022, a
multi-national group of National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs),
recognized threats to the legitimacy and credibility of the anti-doping
community as a result of WADA's governance failures and developed
guiding principles for a more fair and just system. Not but a year
later, more than 20 NADOs from the Latin American region wrote the
Ibero-American Anti-Doping Network (RILD) Manifesto, aimed at bringing
to WADA's attention issues of compliance and Code integration and
recommending that WADA undergo an audit in order to improve the global
anti-doping system.\21\ WADA lashed out at this. More recently, an
equally robust global group of over a dozen NADOs, including USADA,
have requested to increase independence and facilitate more transparent
preventive policies. Similarly, foreign governments are calling for
change. A German Parliamentary State Secretary following a hearing
similar to today's, stated that WADA is ``gambling away all acceptance
and right to exist.'' This year, Former WADA Vice-President and current
Norwegian Parliamentary Member, Linda Helleland, stated:
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\21\ See Exhibit 10--Red Iberoamericana de Lucha contra el Dopaje
(``RILD''), Manifesto of the Parties for the Improvement, Review, and
Updating of the Global Anti-Doping System. October 6, 2023.
``We have a global anti-doping organisation stripped of
integrity and failing to fulfil its duties. Its role is to
combat doping and ensure fair competition among athletes, yet
it now appears more focused on protecting the interests of the
dark forces undermining sports. As long as Wada fails to
operate independently and transparently and shows no
willingness for internal reform and change, Norwegian taxpayers
should not contribute to the organisation. The government
should follow the U.S. lead and withhold our funding. Failing
to support the Americans would mean siding with Wada and
China.'' \22\
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\22\ Rob Draper. UK and EU urged to follow U.S. and block funding
for World Anti-Doping Agency. The Guardian. 15 Jan. 2025. https://
www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jan/15/uk-and-eu-urged-to-follow-us-and-
block-funding-for-world-anti-doping-agency.
Additionally, Nordic Ministers have expressed concern with the
recent cases, stating they undermine trust in anti-doping work which
has now also influenced the newly established Parliamentary Alliance at
the Council of Europe on Good Governance and Integrity in Sport. In
response, WADA has either ignored its stakeholders or tried to pit them
against each other.
Many have attempted to battle WADA's failures, sound the alarm, and
push for reform, only to be stonewalled at every turn by powerful
international sports politics. But the U.S. is uniquely positioned to
affect change. As the single largest government contributor to WADA,
withholding funds and advancing legislation like the Restoring
Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2025, shows how
serious the U.S. is about change and the rights of all athletes. This
effort for change doesn't impact our athletes' ability to compete
internationally and it doesn't impact WADA's ability to serve athletes
. . . only its leader's ability to take first-class flights and stay at
five-star hotels. WADA will continue to say that withholding funds
negatively affects athletes but there is nothing in their charter,
statutes or Code to back it up. It's fear-mongering, banking on
confusion over facts. But if we give in and release funds, we're
telling WADA and the world that they can take our money, fail to do the
job which results in American athletes losing unfairly, and get away
with it. We cannot condone this behavior.
With the golden age of sports coming to America, we must continue
to support the united American stand against this misconduct. In its
first administration, the Trump White House took three decisive and
impactful actions that reasserted American leadership in the global
fight for clean sport. First, working with Congress, they secured
authority to withhold U.S. funding for WADA unless meaningful reforms
were implemented. This is a critical leverage point, and one that was
utilized by the Biden administration last year. In 2018, the Trump
White House also convened a landmark summit on WADA reform, bringing
together athletes and Government Sports Ministers from around the
globe, all working together to achieve accountability. And perhaps most
importantly, President Trump signed into law the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping
Act, establishing U.S. jurisdiction to prosecute international doping
conspiracies. These actions send a clear message that the U.S. will not
bankroll a broken system and we must not stop now.
Let me be very clear: athletes, sport, and the public need a strong
and independent WADA. A fierce, fair, and effective global watchdog is
absolutely essential to protecting the Olympic and Paralympic movement.
But we need WADA to be a truly independent, global regulator, not
merely the sport-controlled organization many want it to remain. WADA
has the resources it needs to do right by athletes--now it just needs
the will do the right thing.
That's what is so frustrating for us at USADA and for the athletes
we serve. The solutions are reasonable and within reach but finding
leaders with the political will to implement those solutions has, so
far, proven to be out of reach. Passing legislation focused on
continuous accountability and prudent money management could be the
first wake-up call, moving WADA and the IOC from complacency to
sustained relevancy.
With the Games coming to America, we have one shot to get it right.
We cannot allow history to repeat itself, not on our watch, not in our
country. This is our moment to protect clean athletes, uphold
integrity, and show the world what fair, clean competition truly looks
like.
To a large extent, the personal well-being of the next generation
of athletes hangs in the balance. This is not just about elite Olympic
and Paralympic athletes--this is about every kid on a playground who
has an Olympic or Paralympic dream and asks, ``What do I have to do to
make my dreams come true and represent the U.S.A. on the biggest stage
of competition?'' And, the truth is, if we as a movement don't push, if
we don't win on all the issues that affect athletes, we will likely
find ourselves back in this same position, years from now, staring down
another egregious scandal that has abused athletes and robbed another
generation of athletes in the process.
And we will all be wondering why we didn't do more when we had the
chance. Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today for
your help in getting this right.
Thank you, I look forward to your questions.
Senator Curtis [presiding]. Thank you. Dr. Gupta, you are
recognized for 5 minutes.
STATEMENT OF DR. RAHUL GUPTA, MD, MPH, MBA,
PRESIDENT, GATC HEALTH CORP AND FORMER DIRECTOR,
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY,
THE WHITE HOUSE
Dr. Gupta. Good afternoon. Thank you. Thank you, Madam
Chair, Ranking Members, and this Committee.
My name is Dr. Rahul Gupta. I serve as President of GATC
Health Corp, a tech bio company, and formerly led the White
House Office of National Drug Control Policy, representing the
United States as well as the Americas region on WADA's
Executive Committee.
I am honored to testify here today on a matter that goes to
the very heart of sport, fairness, and American values, the
governance of the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA. We must
never forget that behind every medal, every anthem, and every
flag, there is an athlete, often a teenager or a young adult,
who has dedicated their life to honest competition. They train
in the dark before sunrise. They sacrifice their bodies, their
free time, and sometimes futures, in pursuit of excellence, and
they do it clean. Yet today, their dreams are being undermined,
not by a rival but by the very institution meant to protect
them.
WADA was created to ensure that every athlete, in every
country, plays by the same rules, but WADA has strayed from
that mission, and the evidence is now undeniable. When 23
Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance before
the Tokyo Olympics, WADA did not open an independent
investigation. It did not inform its executive committee. It
quietly accepted an explanation of contamination, and let those
athletes compete while clean athletes from other countries
watched the podium slip away. No athlete should have to ask,
``Did I lose because someone cheated and no one stopped it?''
Yet, that is exactly what happened.
And when I, as the U.S. representative to WADA, asked
questions, why we were not told, why no sanctions, why no
transparency, we were met with deflection. The so-called
independent investigator offered no recommendations, no
accountability, and no answers. This is not a technical lapse.
It is a governance failure, and it breaks faith with every
clean competitor.
The United States, as WADA's largest public funder and
founder, could not, in good conscience, continue business as
usual. That is why we withheld our dues and demanded reforms.
We need transparency in decisionmaking, true conflict of
interest protections, independent oversight, and a permanent
U.S. seat at the table. WADA leaders responded by removing us
from its executive committee, and that is not because we broke
rules, but because we dared to challenge a broken system.
The United States was a democratically elected member
representing the Americas region. That is now not how global
institutions should operate. That is not leadership. That is
fear of accountability. And the timing could not be more
critical. As has been said here, in the next few years the
world's eyes will turn to the United States for 2026 FIFA World
Cup, 2028 L.A. Olympics, and 2034 Salt Lake City Winter Games.
If WADA's dysfunction goes unaddressed, we risk hosting events
under a cloud of doubt and distrust.
This is not about vengeance. It is about vigilance. It is
about restoring fairness, not just for American athletes, but
for every athlete from every country who dares to play by the
rules. Congress now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to
act, by passing legislation that ties U.S. funding to reform,
by insisting that WADA includes athletes' voices and national
accountability, and by making it clear that integrity is not
negotiable. It is indeed the price of our support.
Let me be very clear. This is not about medals. It is about
meaning. It is about telling every clean athlete, from the
swimmer in Nebraska, to the gymnast in Georgia, to the fencer
in France, that we have your back, that doping will not win,
that integrity still matters, and that the United States will
not just play on the field, we will lead off it.
Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Gupta follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dr. Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, MBA, President,
GATC Health Corporation and former Director, Office of National Drug
Control Policy, The White House
Introduction
Good afternoon, Madame Chairwoman, Senator Blackburn, and members
of the Committee. My name is Dr. Rahul Gupta, the President of GATC
Health Corp, a tech-bio company and former Director of the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy. I appreciate the opportunity to
testify today on a matter of critical importance to the integrity of
international sports and the protection of clean athletes worldwide--
the governance and effectiveness of the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA). We must all be steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that
American athletes compete on a level playing field and that our
Nation's investments in anti-doping efforts are utilized effectively
and responsibly and I thank this committee for holding this important
hearing.
I sit before you today not merely as the former member of the
Executive Committee of WADA representing the Americas Region, but as a
staunch advocate for the integrity of sports and the sanctity of fair
competition. The United States has long been a leader in the fight
against doping in sports, both domestically and internationally. With
strong support from the United States, WADA was established with the
noble intent to safeguard clean athletes and uphold the principles of
fair play and now it finds itself at crossroads. Recent events have
cast a long shadow over its credibility, and it is imperative that we,
as stewards of justice and fairness, address these concerns with the
urgency and gravity they deserve.\1\ These concerns are not only about
specific incidents but also about systemic issues within WADA's
governance and operations that undermine its credibility and
effectiveness.
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\1\ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2024/
07/09/ondcp-director-dr-
rahul-gupta-statement-on-world-anti-doping-agency-interim-report/
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WADA was established in November 1999.\2\ Its mission is to promote
and coordinate, internationally, the fight against doping in sport.
WADA was created as an initiative of the International Olympic
Committee with the support and participation of governments, national
anti-doping organizations and other public and private bodies fighting
against doping in sport. As the sole international regulatory body
against doping in sport, WADA has a unique responsibility to ensure
that international competitions, especially the Olympic and Paralympic
Games, are fairly conducted with the highest possible standards of
integrity. WADA's leadership structure consists of equal
representatives from the Olympic Movement and public authorities
(national governments).
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\2\ https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/ONDCP-2021-WADA-
Report-to-Congress_
Final.pdf
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It is the responsibility of WADA to oversee anti-doping programs,
which encompass drug testing not only during the Olympic Games but
throughout the entirety of the year.\3\ Elite athletes who engage in
doping often do so with the assistance of highly specialized
scientists, who meticulously design and refine protocols aimed at
minimizing or even eliminating the likelihood of detection.
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\3\ https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/
2021_wada_code.pdf
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These illicit efforts may be facilitated, supported, or shielded by
corrupt entities within sports organizations, governmental bodies, law
enforcement agencies, or intelligence networks.
It remains WADA's primary responsibility to ensure that anti-doping
programs are not only comprehensive but also resilient, verifying that
laboratories worldwide possess the capability to detect all forms of
doping substances and methodologies. Furthermore, WADA must diligently
monitor the execution of testing procedures across the globe, ensuring
uniformity and reliability. Given the critical nature of this
responsibility, it is imperative that WADA takes every precaution to
avoid even the slightest appearance of conflicts of interest. The
agency's integrity and credibility hinge on its unwavering commitment
to impartiality and transparency in its operations.
The United States government and the American people must remain
heavily invested in ensuring WADA's success and integrity. This
investment is not merely financial--it is a moral and strategic
commitment to preserving the core values of sport. American athletes
devote countless hours, years, and often their entire youth to training
and perfecting their craft. Their journeys are marked by resilience,
discipline, and personal sacrifice. These athletes do not compete
solely for medals or records; they represent a broader ideal--the
belief that greatness can be achieved through honesty, hard work, and
fair competition.
In a global athletic arena, where the temptation and pressure to
seek unfair advantage through performance-enhancing drugs remain ever-
present, the role of WADA is indispensable. By championing anti-doping
efforts, the agency protects not only the health and safety of athletes
but also the very credibility of international competition.
Support for WADA and calls for its reform are, therefore, a
reflection of America's commitment to global leadership, fairness, and
justice in sport. It ensures that clean athletes--whether they wear
red, white, and blue or any other colors--compete on a level playing
field. Continued investment also signals to the world that the United
States will not tolerate corruption in sport and will lead by example
in upholding the values that inspire millions.
Ultimately, WADA's success is not just about catching cheaters--
it's about protecting dreams, preserving the spirit of honest
competition, and ensuring that when an athlete stands atop a podium,
their achievement is untainted and fully earned.
I. Role of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP), and its Partners
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) plays a
significant role in the United States' relationship with the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and this role is overseen and influenced by
Congress.\4\ On behalf of the United States government, Congress
directs ONDCP to coordinate anti-doping activities at international
level including at WADA. Partners include the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
(USADA), U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), Athletes'
Advisory Council, Team USA, partner nations and others.\5\ Each year,
Congress appropriates funds to ONDCP for anti-doping activities as well
as for United States membership dues at WADA.
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\4\ https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/
R46889#: :text=ONDCP%20coordinates%20U.S.%20
anti%2Ddoping,U.S.%20membership%20dues520to%20WADA.
\5\ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2021/
11/16/readout-of-anti-do
ping-forum-hosted-by-ondcp-with-olympic-athletes-sponsors-broadcasters-
and-other-stakeholders/
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When I assumed the role of Director at the Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) in November 2021, I was dismayed to discover
that the United States had been systematically outmaneuvered and
excluded from key governance bodies of WADA. This marginalization was
particularly evident in the absence of American representation on
WADA's Executive Committee, a critical decision-making body. I found
this situation unacceptable, as it undermined our Nation's influence in
shaping global anti-doping policies and protecting the interests of
clean athletes.
In response, we took decisive action. In April 2023, the United
States was unanimously elected to the presidency of the American Sports
Council (Consejo Americano del Deporte, or CADE), a 41-member
association of Western Hemisphere sports ministers representing the
Americas Region at WADA. As the new president of CADE, the United
States automatically assumed a seat on WADA's Executive Committee,
marking our participation in this capacity historic.\6\
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\6\ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2023/
04/19/united-states-elected
-to-the-presidency-of-the-american-sports-council-will-serve-on-the-
world-anti-doping-agencys-executive-committee/
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This strategic move allowed us to reassert our leadership in the
global anti-doping community. At the May 2023 Executive Committee
meeting in Montreal, I pressed for accountability regarding Russia's
past doping violations and advocated for the development of eligibility
criteria that subject all athletes, including Russian athletes, to a
minimum number of required doping tests.\7\ I also emphasized the
importance of meaningful medal ceremonies for athletes affected by
delayed investigations, such as the Kamila Valieva case, and strongly
encouraged WADA to continue refining its governance reforms to ensure
fair athletic competition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ https://septewhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2023/
05/11/readout-of-wada-exe
cutive-committee-meeting-as-usa-participates-as-member-for-first-time-
since-2015/
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Additionally, as per the directions of Congress, I communicated to
WADA leadership the need for significant additional reforms to the way
WADA is structured and functions to ensure that the organization is
able operate with independence and transparency of its operations,
enhancing the role of athletes in WADA decision-making, and restoring
confidence in clean competition.\8\ Our renewed engagement with WADA
underscored the United States' commitment to promoting clean sport and
ensuring that anti-doping efforts are transparent, effective, and fair.
By actively participating in WADA's governance, we aimed to restore
trust in the global anti-doping system and uphold the integrity of
international athletics.
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\8\ From House Report 116-456, which reads in part: ``The Committee
directs ONDCP to closely monitor WADA's reform efforts to determine
whether WADA is making sufficient progress in increasing the
independence and transparency of its operations, enhancing the role of
athletes in WADA decision-making, and restoring confidence in clean
competition.'' See page 42, CRPT-116hrpt456.pdf (congress.gov).
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However, in April 2024, a shocking revelation emerged that further
underscored the agency's failures. On a Sunday morning, The New York
Times published an investigative report revealing that 23 Chinese
swimmers had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine
(TMZ) before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.\9\ Despite the positive tests,
WADA accepted China's explanation of contamination without conducting
an independent investigation, allowing the athletes to compete in the
Tokyo Olympics without sanctions. This revelation was not disclosed
during any Executive Committee meeting or official WADA communication
but came to light through a media report, catching us all by surprise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/20/world/asia/chinese-swimmers-
doping-olympics.html
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This incident had far-reaching consequences. American athletes, who
had trained tirelessly for the opportunity to compete on the world
stage, found themselves questioning the integrity of the competition.
Swimmer Allison Schmitt, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, expressed
the unfading uncertainty felt by athletes: ``Many of us will be haunted
by this podium finish that may have been impacted by doping.'' \10\
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\10\ https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3268072/
michael-phelps-allison-schmitt
-call-wada-reform-over-handling-chinese-swimmers-case
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The lack of transparency and accountability in handling this case
raised serious concerns about WADA's commitment to enforcing anti-
doping regulations impartially and effectively. The erosion of trust
has not been limited to individual athletes. The United States Anti-
Doping Agency (USADA) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee
(USOPC) Athletes' Advisory Council have all called for immediate
reforms at WADA, citing systemic failures and a lack of transparency.
The impact of WADA's failures extends beyond the sporting community
itself. The credibility of international competitions is at stake, and
the very foundation of fair play is being questioned. As Michael
Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, testified before
Congress, ``As athletes, our faith can no longer be blindly placed in
the World Anti-Doping Agency, an organization that continues to prove
that it is either incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies
consistently around the world.'' \11\
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\11\ https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/26/michael-
phelps-says-us-athletes
-losing-faith-in-wada-before-paris-olympics
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The time for complacency has passed. The United States, as a
leading proponent of clean sport, must take decisive action to ensure
that WADA reforms its governance structures and operations. By doing
so, we reaffirm our commitment to fairness, integrity, and the
protection of clean athletes worldwide, regardless of nationality.
II. The Erosion of Trust: A Case Study in Governance Failure
Madame Chairwoman and members of this esteemed Committee, WADA's
governance challenges can be likened to buying a certified pre-owned
vehicle from a reputable dealership. You expect that the car has been
thoroughly inspected, that it's safe and roadworthy. But as soon as you
drive it off the lot, the brakes fail and the engine sputters--and only
then do you learn that the dealership has a history of skipping
inspections altogether. The problem isn't just the faulty vehicle; it's
the broken system that promised trust and delivered negligence.
This allegory mirrors the situation with WADA. The agency,
entrusted with the monumental responsibility of ensuring clean
competition, has repeatedly failed to act decisively in the face of
doping scandals. The case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive
for trimetazidine before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is only one example.
WADA's decision to accept China's explanation of contamination without
conducting an independent investigation has eroded trust in WADA's
commitment to clean sport and its ability to hold all nations
accountable, regardless of their stature or political influence.
The situation was further complicated by the appointment of Swiss
prosecutor Eric Cottier to investigate the case. His appointment was
effectively imposed by WADA management on the Executive Committee and
the Foundation Board, neither of which was really afforded a fair and
transparent opportunity to weigh in on alternative choices that may
have been more independent. Critics, including the U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency (USADA), questioned Cottier's independence due to his long-
standing ties to WADA and its former auditor, Jacques Antenen as well
as Mr. Cottier agreeing to the extremely limited scope of the
investigation set by WADA which prevented a meaningful review.\12\ This
raised concerns about the impartiality of the investigation and the
transparency of WADA's decision-making processes.
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\12\ https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/aquatics/wada-china-
prosecutor-defence-
1.7189645
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Indeed, on July 01, 2024, Mr. Cottier issued an interim summary
report and committed to provide a full list of recommendations to the
WADA in its final Report.\13\ In his final Report in September 2024 Mr.
Cottier provided no such list of recommendations and specifically
noted, ``the Investigator has decided not to make any
recommendations.'' \14\ At WADA's Executive Committee meeting in
Turkiye, when I questioned Mr. Cottier about this significant deviation
from his commitment, he became agitated and was unable to provide a
cogent response. Similarly, he could not articulate that while he found
significant deficiencies in CHINADA's (Chinese Anti-Doing Agency)
actions in dealing with the positive TMZ findings as well as the
contamination scenario, why would he bury those in his Report and not
expand his investigation despite having the directives of the Executive
Committee members to do so.\15\
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\13\ https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/
summary_report_en_0.pdf
\14\ https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/2024-09/
202408_final_cottier_report_eng
lish_translation.pdf
\15\ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2024/
09/13/readout-of-ondcp-meetings-with-world-anti-doping-agency-
executive-committee-international-olympic-committee-and-united-states-
antidoping-agency-members/
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III. ONDCP Holds WADA Accountable by Withholding Dues Payment
Regardless of the good faith efforts of the United States
government to seek basic governance reforms including an independent
code compliance operational audit and bringing more transparency and
accountability into the institution, longstanding concerns over WADA's
governance and handling of doping cases has remained.\16\ It was
particularly troubling that WADA leadership failed to disclose to its
own Executive Committee the decision to quietly accept CHINADA's
explanation in a major doping case--a decision that effectively allowed
a powerful nation to circumvent the rules without independent scrutiny.
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\16\ https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/
07/ONDCP-WADA-Report_July-2023.pdf
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Even more alarming was WADA's continued refusal to commit to
informing the Executive Committee about such consequential matters in
the future. This posture reflects a deliberate choice to preserve
opacity over accountability--a status quo that serves bureaucratic
comfort and potentially a corruptive mindset at the expense of public
trust.
To change this status quo, ONDCP asked WADA, in good faith, to
commit to reform as a condition for U.S. dues payment including that
WADA: (1) Fully and expeditiously implement the recommendations of the
Executive Committee Working Group based on the findings of the Cottier
and World Aquatics reports, keeping the Executive Committee informed of
its progress; (2) Conduct an independent code-compliance audit, in
conjunction with the WADA Risk and Audit Committee, of key components
of WADA to identify areas to improve its existing policies and
processes to execute its responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping
Code; (3) WADA Management shall consult the Executive Committee before
making decisions on significant matters that are likely to result in
legal liability or reputational harm to the agency including, but not
limited to, any non-mandatory litigation or any actions against its
Executive Committee or Foundation Board members, including utilizing
the ethics process; (4) Given the lack of prior Executive Committee,
approval, WADA will unconditionally withdraw its litigation impacting
the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) by January 18th, 2025, and
ensure that WADA's Independent Ethics Board accelerates its process to
conclude its meritless conflict-of-interest complaint against the
United States Government that had since been withdrawn by WADA; (5)
Permanently suspend efforts to institute new sanctions on Public
Authorities for the voluntary non-payment of dues while a feasible
approach at UNESCO is pursued, in conjunction with WADA, consistent
with the International Convention Against Doping in Sport; and (6)
Ensure that the United States would continue its service as the
Americas representative to the WADA Executive Committee.
WADA leadership declined to tie the receipt of membership dues to
any tangible reform, effectively signaling that financial support
should come with no conditions, no expectations, and no meaningful
oversight. In other words, they want no strings attached, regardless of
performance or governance failure. As Director of ONDCP, a steward of
public dollars and public trust, I could not in good conscience
continue business as usual. That is why I made the decision to withhold
the United States' $3.6 million contribution--the largest in the
world--to WADA's 2024 budget. It was a necessary stand for reform,
transparency, and the protection of clean athletes everywhere. We
received broad support for this action from both institutions like
USADA and the Athletes Advisory Council as well as independent
athletes.
In January 2025, WADA executed a strikingly unilateral and power-
driven maneuver by removing the United States from its Executive
Committee--a move widely condemned as unjustified, politically
motivated, and emblematic of an organization more concerned with
consolidating authority than fostering fair and inclusive
governance.\17\
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\17\ https://www.reuters.com/sports/us-withholds-wada-dues-calls-
reforms-global-watchdog-2025-01-08/
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In April 2025, the United States once again ran for and won the
presidency of CADE through a transparent, democratic process--securing
the mandate to represent the Americas Region on WADA's Executive
Committee. Yet, in a troubling display of institutional defiance, WADA
has refused to recognize the outcome and continues to block the seating
of the region's duly elected representative. This refusal not only
disregards the will of the Americas but further underscores WADA's
resistance to accountability and representative governance.
These incidents have made it clear to all serious stakeholders in
international sport that WADA's governance structures are fundamentally
inadequate. There is a growing global consensus that urgent reforms are
needed to restore confidence, ensure transparency, and protect the
principle of fair play--the heart of international competition.
IV. Systemic Governance Failures: A Closer Examination
WADA's challenges are not isolated incidents but indicative of
deeper systemic issues within its governance structure:
1. Lack of Effective Leadership: The leadership of WADA, under its
current President and Director General has been widely
criticized for a consistent pattern of opacity, lack of
accountability, and dismissiveness toward internal and external
scrutiny. The acceptance of CHINADA's contamination explanation
without conducting an independent investigation, and crucially,
failing to timely inform its governing board or the public
about the positive tests until they were exposed by media
reports are just one of the several examples.
Further concerns have arisen from WADA's unilateral selection of
Swiss attorney Eric Cottier to lead the investigation into the
case and later compelling the Executive Committee to accept the
selection without providing terms of reference. Critics
questioned his impartiality due to his longstanding ties to
WADA and its former auditor, Jacques Antenen, raising doubts
about the independence of the inquiry.\18\ These actions--or
lack thereof--demonstrate a troubling disregard for the
principles of transparency and accountability that are
essential to maintaining trust in the global anti-doping
system. The failure to address internal complaints and the
apparent reluctance to engage with constructive criticism
further undermine WADA's credibility and effectiveness in its
mission to ensure fair competition in international sports.
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\18\ https://www.stateofswimming.com/wada-tested-on-state-of-
independence-in-go-free-23-chinese-doping-positives-inquiry/
2. Lack of Independence in Leadership: WADA's leadership has been
criticized for its close ties to the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) and national sports federations.\19\ This
interconnectedness raises concerns about the agency's ability
to make impartial decisions free from external influences. In
fact, when Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics,
the IOC added a clause to the contract stating that the Games
could be withdrawn if the U.S. government, USADA, or other U.S.
bodies did not fully respect WADA's ``supreme authority'' in
enforcing the World Anti-Doping Code.\20\
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\19\ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/31/us/politics/wada-doping-
salt-lake-city-2034-olympics.html
\20\ https://swimswam.com/salt-lake-city-named-as-host-for-2034-
winter-olympic-games-despite-threats-from-dick-pound/
3. Inadequate Representation of Stakeholders: Despite the
significant financial contributions from governments and the
critical role of athletes in the anti-doping system, WADA's
decision-making bodies lack adequate representation from these
groups. For instance, the Athletes' Committee, which is
supposed to represent the interests of athletes, has been
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criticized for its limited influence and lack of independence.
4. Conflicts of Interest: WADA's governance structures allow for
potential conflicts of interest, particularly among members who
have ties to organizations with a direct financial interest in
WADA's decisions. This undermines the agency's ability to make
decisions that prioritize the integrity of sport over the
interests of powerful stakeholders. For instance, the
involvement of WADA's General Counsel in defending the agency's
decision not to appeal the acquittal of 23 Chinese swimmers who
tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ)
before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics has been criticized for
violating WADA's own conflict of interest policy.\21\
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\21\ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/04/22/
chinese-swimmers-doping-controversy-wada/73413439007/
5. Bias Against the United States: WADA has recently undertaken a
series of unauthorized and politically charged actions aimed at
discrediting the United States government, its institutions,
and its athletes--actions made all the more troubling by the
fact that they are, in part, financed by U.S. taxpayer
dollars.\22\ Without consultation or approval from its own
governing bodies, WADA's leadership initiated a defamation
lawsuit against USADA--a case it later withdrew--and filed a
baseless conflict-of-interest complaint against the ONDCP
Director, which was ultimately dismissed.\23\ These maneuvers
reflect a disturbing pattern: the misuse of institutional
authority and public resources to pursue personal or political
vendettas. Rather than fostering collaboration, WADA continues
to publicly rail against U.S. anti-doping laws and fuels
unnecessary hostility among international partners.\24\ For an
organization charged with safeguarding fairness and neutrality
in sport, such behavior is not only inappropriate--it is
disqualifying.
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\22\ https://www.bbc.com/sport/swimming/articles/c78e9540392o
\23\ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/us/politics/wada-anti-
doping-suit.html
\24\ https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240725-us-not-the-
world-s-anti-doping-policeman-says-wada-chief-banka
6. Ineffective Enforcement Mechanisms: One of the most consequential
deficiencies at WADA lies in its chronically ineffective
enforcement mechanisms. Despite its mandate to ensure
compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA lacks the
institutional will and operational independence necessary to
uniformly and decisively sanction non-compliant countries or
organizations. Time and again, this weakness has resulted in
inconsistent applications of justice, with some nations facing
significant scrutiny while others appear shielded by opaque
processes or geopolitical influence.\25\
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\25\ https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1152386/wada-crisis-
fight-anti-doping-collapsing
The 2021 Chinese swimming case is emblematic. The reinstatement of
Russia's anti-doping agency in 2018, despite evidence of widespread
state-sponsored doping, provides yet another example of the agency's
failure to take decisive action against major violators.\26\ Such
failures to escalate and enforce compliance undermine the integrity of
global sport, create a two-tiered system of justice, and send a
damaging message to clean athletes: that consequences for doping depend
less on facts and more on politics. Without enforceable standards and a
credible willingness to act on them, WADA risks becoming a passive
observer rather than the active regulator the world's athletes deserve.
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\26\ https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wada-executive-committee-
unanimously-endorses-four
-year-period-non-compliance-russian-
anti#: :text=The%20September%202018%20decision%20to,of
%20the%20new%20Compliance%20Standard.
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V. The Need for Comprehensive Reform
Madame Chairwoman and esteemed members of the Committee, to address
these systemic issues and restore trust in the global anti-doping
system, the following reforms are proposed:
1. Governance Reform: WADA must submit to an independent code
compliance operational audit that identify areas to improve its
existing policies and processes in order to execute its
responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code. WADA should
implement an independent prosecutorial body to oversee
investigations and ensure impartiality, particularly in high-
profile cases.\27\ WADA needs to be more than a `Paper Tiger'
to the cheaters and their national sponsors by significantly
and consistently enhancing its compliance monitoring.
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\27\ https://www.usada.org/announcement/call-for-independent-
prosecutor-wada/
2. Independent and Transparent Leadership: WADA and the global
sports community deserves an independent President, Vice
President and Director General, free from ties to the Olympic
Movement or sports federations, and free from influence of
other major nations.\28\ An independent oversight body should
review and evaluate WADA's leadership decisions and
actions.\29\ This body should foster a culture of
accountability and non-political approach with the authority to
assess leadership effectiveness, transparency, and
accountability, ensuring that decisions align with the agency's
mission and ethical standards.
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\28\ https://www.playthegame.org/news/the-wada-presidency-election-
or-coronation/
\29\ https://www.thetimes.com/sport/swimming/article/revealed-
lawyer-linked-to-wada-and-silence-over-chinese-drug-scandal-
6k6tgvrts?utm_ source=chatgpt.com®ion=global
3. United States Representation at WADA: The exclusion of the United
States from WADA Executive Committee represents an existential
crisis to the global sports community with profound
implications for upcoming international sporting events hosted
on U.S. soil. WADA's unilateral meritless decision to remove
the legitimately elected representative for the entire Americas
Region twice has far-reaching consequences, especially as the
United States prepares to host major events such as the 2026
FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and
2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. The
absence of this representation in WADA's decision-making
processes undermines the agency's credibility and raises
questions about the integrity of anti-doping efforts during
these high-profile events. While U.S. athletes' eligibility to
compete is not directly affected by the funding dispute, the
global perception of the U.S. commitment to clean sport may be
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
compromised.
Furthermore, the situation risks straining relationships with
international sporting bodies, potentially affecting future
bids for major events. Specifically, the United States's
exclusion from WADA's governing body not only impacts the
agency's governance but also casts a shadow over the integrity
of all upcoming international sporting events. American
athletes cannot be guaranteed a level playing field if this
bigotry is not addressed. Restoring U.S. participation in
WADA's governing body is crucial to reaffirming our and the
world's commitment to clean sport. Therefore, any future
legislation must consider the requirement that WADA provides
the United States its own permanent seat at either Executive
Committee or the Foundation Board or both.
4. Enhanced Stakeholder Representation: WADA must include greater
representation from national anti-doping organizations,
independent athletes, and technical experts, ensuring that all
relevant perspectives are considered in decision-making
processes.
5. Robust Conflict-of-Interest Policies: The integrity of any global
regulatory body depends fundamentally on the trust it inspires,
and this trust is eroded when real or perceived conflicts of
interest go unchecked. For WADA, robust conflict-of-interest
policies should not be treated as a procedural luxury--which it
currently does, but a structural necessity. Recent
controversies, including the role of a WADA employee, who
reportedly advised against referring the Chinese doping case to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before later becoming
WADA's General Counsel, highlight the risks of blurred
professional boundaries and insufficient internal
safeguards.\30\
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\30\ https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/wednesday-may-22-2024-
full-transcript-1.7212131
When senior legal counsel, investigators, or board members have
overlapping professional relationships with external parties
under investigation--or may personally benefit from
institutional decisions--WADA's credibility is imperiled. To
remedy this, WADA must adopt and enforce rigorous,
independently audited conflict-of-interest policies for all its
leadership employees and board positions. These policies should
include full disclosure of all affiliations, mandatory recusals
in relevant cases, cooling-off periods for appointments, and an
external ethics ombudsman empowered to investigate and report
findings publicly. Without clear, enforceable standards, WADA
risks continuing to operate in the shadow of impropriety,
eroding the global confidence that clean athletes and national
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anti-doping bodies demand.
6. Transparent and Accountable Decision-Making: Transparent and
accountable decision-making must become a central pillar of
WADA's operations if it is to maintain legitimacy as the global
standard-bearer for anti-doping. At present, key decisions--
such as the handling of the 2021 Chinese doping scandal--have
occurred without proper disclosure to WADA's own Executive
Committee, let alone the public. This failure to communicate
critical developments in real time erodes confidence not only
among national anti-doping agencies and athletes but also among
governments who fund and rely on WADA's impartiality.
Transparency is not just about publishing decisions after the
fact; it is about creating a culture where deliberations,
rationale, and procedural steps are visible and accessible,
subject to internal checks and external scrutiny.
Accountability, in turn, demands mechanisms for review,
correction, and consequence--including independent audits,
appeals processes, and stakeholder oversight. WADA must adopt
practices seen in mature international governance bodies, such
as publishing minutes of key meetings, disclosing conflicts,
and issuing timely updates on case progress. Only by embedding
transparency and accountability in its DNA can WADA reclaim its
moral authority and rebuild the trust of the athletes and
institutions it is designed to serve.
7. Effective Enforcement Mechanisms: For WADA to fulfill its core
mandate and command respect from the global sporting community,
it must implement far more effective enforcement mechanisms.
WADA must establish an autonomous, investigative arm with full
independence from its political and executive leadership--
modeled perhaps after prosecutorial divisions in financial
oversight bodies or ethics committees in international law. In
addition, WADA must apply its Code uniformly across all member
countries, regardless of geopolitical or economic
considerations, and ensure that all enforcement decisions are
transparently documented and open to review. Enforcement cannot
be selective or politically convenient; it must be principled,
consistent, and courageous--or risk rendering the global anti-
doping system ineffective and irrelevant.
These reforms are not merely aspirational suggestions or
bureaucratic niceties; they are foundational imperatives if WADA is to
meaningfully fulfill its mission of protecting clean sport. Without
decisive action to address the structural deficiencies in governance,
transparency, enforcement, and conflict-of-interest management, WADA
risks becoming a passive figurehead--present in name but ineffective in
action. The global anti-doping system cannot afford such erosion of
trust. Athletes from every nation, especially those who choose
integrity over shortcuts, deserve a regulatory body that operates with
rigor, independence, and unwavering fairness. These reforms are
essential to restore confidence among national anti-doping
organizations, to uphold the credibility of international competitions,
and above all, to guarantee that the playing field is level--not just
in rhetoric, but in reality. The future of fair sport depends not on
words, but on action. WADA must either evolve with urgency and
resolve--or forfeit the trust of the very athletes and institutions it
was created to serve.
VI. The Role of the United States and United States Congress in Driving
Reform
As the largest financial contributor to WADA, the United States has
both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead efforts to reform the
agency. The United States should continue to engage with international
partners and stakeholders to advocate for greater transparency,
stronger governance, and meaningful accountability within WADA.
However, without decisive structural changes, there is a real danger
that WADA will continue to function in an opaque, self-protective
manner--imperiling the trust of clean athletes worldwide.
Beyond its governmental contributions, the United States plays a
disproportionately large financial role in the broader Olympic
ecosystem. U.S.-based companies make up the majority of corporate
sponsors supporting the International Olympic Committee (IOC). For
instance, companies such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Intel, and Airbnb
collectively contribute billions of dollars to the IOC through the TOP
(The Olympic Partner) sponsorship program. These commercial investments
are not mere branding exercises; they reflect a commitment to the
Olympic values of excellence, respect, and fair play. However, when
doping violations are inadequately investigated or politically
suppressed, it tarnishes the integrity of the very competitions these
companies are underwriting--and, by extension, erodes the value of
their investment.
The United States has long been a global leader in anti-doping
policy, both through its funding and through the operational excellence
of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). This commitment is more than
financial; it is deeply cultural and ethical. To that end, Congress is
considering the ``Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency
Act,'' which would grant ONDCP the authority to withhold funding from
WADA unless the organization implements meaningful governance
reforms.\31\ This measure underscores the seriousness with which the
U.S. Congress regards WADA's obligations to athletes and to the
integrity of global sport. At a time when the world is watching--and
the United States is preparing to host landmark events like the 2026
FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games--
reform is not just appropriate, it is imperative.
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\31\ https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/services/files/6E1EB3C9-0C3A-
4E58-99AC-AF24AE9
F4DEE
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The Role of the United States Congress in Reforming WADA
Congress has several strategic tools at its disposal to drive
reform at WADA and ensure the agency operates with greater
transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. They include:
1. Conditional Funding Legislation
Congress can pass legislation--such as the proposed ``Restoring
Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act''--that ties future U.S.
funding contributions to specific governance reforms. This approach
gives the U.S. leverage by linking its funding to meaningful
institutional change without undermining clean athletes.
These conditions may include:
a) WADA routinely submit to an independent code compliance
operational audit
b) Greater independent athlete representation on WADA's boards and
committees.
c) Mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosures and recusal policies.
d) Independent investigations for major doping cases.
e) Clear and public decision-making processes.
f) Providing whistleblower protections
g) WADA permanently suspend its efforts to institute new sanctions
on Public Authorities for the voluntary non-payment of dues.
2. Strengthen ONDCP's Oversight Role
Congress can formally expand the authority of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to oversee U.S. participation in
international anti-doping bodies. This would allow ONDCP to:
a) Represent U.S. interests at WADA by requiring a permanent U.S.
representation (seats) on WADA Executive Committee or
Foundation Board or both.
b) Collaborate with USADA to issue public evaluations of WADA's
compliance with best practices.
Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the ONDCP has long housed and
overseen the U.S. government's role at WADA, aligning with its broader
mission of coordinating U.S. anti-doping policy across Federal
agencies, international partners, and sport organizations Congress
should reject any proposed transfer of the ONDCP portfolio to another
Federal agency which would risk undermining the U.S.'s leadership role
and credibility in global anti-doping efforts.
3. Convene Hearings and Investigations
Madame Chairwoman, I commend this committee for holding a public
hearing on WADA's governance failures. Future hearings may include:
a) WADA's systemic failures to complete governance reforms and
become a transparent and accountable international anti-doping
body.
b) The role of conflicted officials at WADA in creating an uneven
playing field in sports leading to an inherent disadvantage for
American athletes.
c) The exclusion of the United States from the Executive Committee
and Foundation Board.
d) The role of `gifts' and other asymmetric influences on WADA
leadership from national bodies and private sectors
e) Consideration of an alternative authority should the WADA anti-
doping regime continue to fall short of its commitments to the
global sports community.
4. Leverage Diplomatic Channels
Congress can call on the State Department and U.S. representatives
to international sporting organizations to:
a) Build coalitions with like-minded countries seeking reform.
b) Coordinate with international bodies (such as UNESCO, which hosts
the anti-doping convention) to update governance standards.
c) Demand that WADA be held to international norms for transparency
and integrity.
5. Engage with Corporate Stakeholders
Because U.S.-based corporations contribute billions of dollars to
the IOC and, indirectly, to the global sports system, Congress can use
its platform to engage these companies. By encouraging them to advocate
for clean sport and institutional reform as part of their corporate
social responsibility, Congress can add economic pressure to the demand
for change.
6. Support Alternative Oversight Mechanisms
Congress could also consider supporting or proposing the
establishment of a new independent anti-doping oversight panel (or
international watchdog) that audits WADA decisions and compliance. This
would be a last-resort measure, but it would send a clear signal to
WADA that accountability is non-negotiable.
VII. Conclusion
The integrity of global sport hangs in the balance. The failures of
the World Anti-Doping Agency--from its opaque handling of the Chinese
doping scandal to its disregard for transparency, accountability, and
good governance--have eroded the trust of athletes, nations, and the
public. These are not abstract missteps; they are real harms inflicted
on clean athletes who train their entire lives for a level playing
field, only to find that politics and protectionism too often
overshadow justice.
The United States has long stood as a global leader in the fight
against doping. Our athletes, our institutions, and our taxpayers have
invested heavily--not only financially, but morally--in upholding the
ideals of fairness, integrity, and truth in sport. With the 2026 FIFA
World Cup, Olympic qualifiers, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the
horizon, and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake
City hosted on U.S. soil, our responsibility to lead is not just
national--it is global.
Now is the time for action. WADA must undergo serious and immediate
reform to restore its legitimacy. That means new leadership untainted
by institutional self-interest, meaningful stakeholder representation,
stringent conflict-of-interest policies, and independent enforcement
mechanisms that hold every nation equally accountable. It also means
ensuring that the United States--as a primary funder and partner--is no
longer sidelined from executive decision-making.
Reform is not optional. It is essential. The credibility of WADA
and the future of clean sport depend on our willingness--collectively
and courageously--to demand better. We owe that to every athlete who
competes clean, to every child who dreams of standing on a podium, and
to every fan who believes that sport still has the power to inspire.
Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter. I look
forward to your questions and to working together to restore confidence
in the global anti-doping system.
Senator Curtis. Thank you, Doctor. Miss McLaughlin, you
have the floor for 5 minutes. Thank you for being here today.
STATEMENT OF KATHRYN ``KATIE'' McLAUGHLIN,
FORMER OLYMPIC SWIMMER
Ms. McLaughlin. Good afternoon, Madam Chairwoman, Ranking
Member, and members of the Committee. Thank you guys so much
for having me.
My name is Katie McLaughlin. I am an Olympic silver
medalist, and I am so honored to be here and share my story
with such an accomplished group.
When preparing this, I kept telling my mom, and anyone that
would listen to me, how unreal it felt, because I just feel
like I am just a girl that had a big dream. And I think that is
exactly why I do feel like I belong here. I am just a girl who
dreamed of swimming for Team USA, and now it matters so deeply
to me that the next version of me, and the next generation who
has a dream of doing the same, gets to compete on a level
playing field.
Like many swimmers, I grew up glued to the Olympics on TV.
In 2008, I was 11 years old and I remember watching Natalie
Coughlin, Michael Phelps, and all those Team USA relays, just
dominate. And I felt this overwhelming pride to be an American.
And I knew I would do anything to be in their shoes one day. No
matter how much time or work or sacrifice it would take to get
there, I was going to do it.
And as one could imagine, being an elite athlete or
Olympian takes a ton of hard work and sacrifice. We show up to
the pool 10 times a week, 11 1/2 months out of the year, and
hope at the end of it all we are tenths or hundreds of a second
better than we were the year prior. We spend that much time
training, looking for an edge or just something to set
ourselves apart. And again, as a clean athlete, that was the
only way and the only option to lead me to achieve my dreams.
And it did. At 15, I made the national team for the first
time and was entered into the anti-doping testing program,
which meant I had to let officials know where I would be 24/7,
every day of the year. They could show up at my house or school
or practice anytime, anywhere, for random drug testing. And
they did. And over the next 10 years, I was tested more times
than I could count.
But I never once questioned it, because I believed that is
what we all did. I believed in the system, I believed in fair
play and I never even considered that anyone might not feel the
same. To me, competing clean wasn't just a rule. It was a
responsibility. I was representing my country, my teammates, my
family, and when I stood on the blocks, I wanted to know that I
earned that place honestly.
When my relay team swam under the world record time in
Tokyo, we asked to be tested, even though we had not won gold.
We wanted it documented that we were proud to race clean. That
is how much we believed in the principle.
So when I learned later that some competitors may not have
had that same lead-up, that the rules did not apply to these
athletes, it broke my heart and my teammates' hearts. Because,
Madam Chairwoman, clean athletes carry the weight of sacrifice
and discipline and transparency, and when that is not honored
it undermines the whole point of what we are fighting for.
What is particularly disheartening, as well, is to learn
that the powers that be, WADA, who is supposed to be the one
holding everyone to the same standard, is not holding everyone
accountable. It is really hard to understand how the
fundamentals of sport, and pride for hard work, and pride for
representing one's country, has been tainted by these actions.
In 2016, I was hoping to make my first Olympic team, and 5
months before our trials, I fractured a vertebra in my neck.
And I tried to come back in time and I didn't make the team,
and it was devastating, but it lit a fire in me and I knew I
would be back. And I was. In 2021, I finally made the Olympic
team and won a silver medal in the 4x200 relay, and it was an
absolute dream. My teammates and I left everything in the pool.
We believed in doing it the right way and we were so proud of
our hard work that earned that medal for the USA.
In 2016, that personal heartbreak was out of my control, a
complete accident that inspired me to be back. But in 2021,
when learning about the scandal about the Chinese swimmers, and
how that could have been prevented had the correct rules been
applied, that one had a different sting. And at the end of the
day, we can only control ourselves, and that has given me peace
as I have stepped away from the sport, knowing I gave it
everything and that my family, coaches and supporters
sacrificed so much to help me chase my dreams.
But what about the next young athlete who steps up on the
blocks and does not have a shot at fairness? Young athletes get
one chance to achieve their dream and they can't on an uneven
playing field, and that is what drives me to speak up today. I
don't want to stay quiet knowing another young girl like me is
out there working just as hard and she might not get a fair
shot.
Madam Chairwoman, we Olympians are individuals with
individual stories, but what unites us is that we fight for
honest, clean, and fair competition. At the end of the day, it
is about the people, it is about the pride, sacrifice, and
integrity. And it should never have to be a question about
whether the playing field is level. I care about the future of
my sport, and that everyone dreaming of being in my shoes gets
a fair shot at achieving their dreams.
Thank you all for listening, and thank you for your
leadership and help protecting the future of sports.
[The prepared statement of Ms. McLaughlin follows:]
Prepared Statement of Kathryn ``Katie'' McLaughlin,
Former Olympic Swimmer
Wow. I'm so honored to be here and to share my story with such an
accomplished group.
When preparing this, I kept telling my mom how surreal it felt--
because I still feel like I'm just a girl that had a big dream. But
that's exactly why I do feel like I belong here. I am just a girl who
dreamed of swimming for Team USA. And now, it matters deeply to me that
the next version of me--the next generation who has a dream of doing
the same--gets to compete on a level playing field.
Like many swimmers, I grew up glued to the Olympics on TV. In 2008,
when I was 11, I watched Natalie Coughlin, Michael Phelps, and the Team
USA relays dominate. I felt this overwhelming pride to be American, and
I knew I would do anything to be in their shoes one day. No matter how
much time, work, and sacrifice it would take to get there, I would do
it.
And as one could imagine, being an elite athlete/Olympian takes a
ton of hard work and sacrifice. We show up to the pool 10 times a week,
11.5 months out of the year and hope at the end of it all, we are
tenths or hundredths of a second better than we were the year prior. We
spend that much time training, looking for an edge and something to set
ourselves apart. And again, as a clean athlete, that was the only way
and the only option to lead me to achieve my dreams.
At 15, I made the national team for the first time--and was entered
into the anti-doping testing program. That meant I had to let officials
know where I would be, 24/7, every day of the year. They could show up
at my house, school, or practice--any time--for random drug testing.
And they did. Over the next 10 years, I was tested more than I can
count. I never once questioned it. Because I believed that's what we
all did. I believed in the system. I believed in fair play. I never
even considered that anyone might not feel the same.
To me, competing clean wasn't just a rule--it was a responsibility.
I was representing my country, my teammates, my family. And when I
stood on the blocks, I wanted to know I earned that place honestly.
When my relay team swam under the world record time in Tokyo, we
asked to be tested--even though we hadn't won gold (which is standard
practice--gold or world record = testing). We wanted it documented: we
were proud to race clean. That's how much we believed in the principle.
So when I learned later that some competitors may not have had that
same lead-up--that the rules did not apply to these athletes--it broke
my heart.
Because clean athletes carry the weight of sacrifice, discipline,
and transparency. And when that's not honored, it undermines the whole
point of what we're fighting for.
What is particularly disheartening as well is to learn that the
powers at be, WADA--who is supposed to be the ones holding everyone to
the same standard, are not holding everyone accountable. It is really
hard to understand how the fundamentals of sport and pride for hard
work and pride for representing one's country has been tainted by such
actions.
In 2016, I was hoping to make my first Olympic team. But five
months before trials, I fractured a vertebra in my neck. I tried to
come back in time, but I didn't make the team. It was devastating--but
it lit a fire in me. I knew I'd be back. And I was. In 2021, I finally
made the Olympic team.
Winning a silver medal in the 4x200 relay was an absolute dream. My
teammates and I left everything in that pool. We believed in the work.
We believed in doing it the right way and we were so proud to have
earned that medal for the USA because we knew we had done everything we
could to be at our best that day.
In 2016, my personal heartbreak was out of my control, a complete
accident that inspired me to be back. But in 2021, when learning about
the scandal with the Chinese swimmers and how that could have been
prevented had the correct policies been applied, that one had a
different sting.
At the end of the day, we can only control ourselves. That gave me
peace as I stepped away from the sport--knowing I gave it everything,
and that my family, coaches, and supporters sacrificed so much to help
me chase my dreams.
But what about the next young athlete who steps up on the blocks
and does not have a shot at fairness? Who gets one chance to achieve
their dream and must do so on an uneven playing field? That's what
drives me to speak up today.
I don't want to stay quiet knowing another young girl like me is
out there, working just as hard--and she might not get a fair shot.
We Olympians are individuals with individual stories. But what
unites us is that we fight for honest, clean, fair competition.
At the end of the day, it's about the people. It's about pride,
sacrifice, and integrity. And it should never have to be about whether
the playing field was level. I care about the future of my sport and
that everyone dreaming of being in my shoes gets a fair shot at
achieving their dreams.
Thank you for listening--and for helping protect the future of
sport.
Senator Blackburn [presiding]. Ms. Koller, you are
recognized for five minutes.
STATEMENT OF DIONNE KOLLER, PROFESSOR OF LAW
AND DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR SPORT AND LAW,
UNIVERSITY OF BALTIMORE SCHOOL OF LAW
Ms. Koller. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Dionne
Koller, and I am a professor of law, and the Director of the
Center for Sport and the Law at the University of Baltimore. I
have published several articles on the United States' efforts
to fight doping in sport, and I also co-chaired the bipartisan
Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, which
provided its final report to Congress last year.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify today, and I
commend this Committee for taking up the issue of how the
United States should respond to WADA's continued failure to
fully meet its mission.
Members of the Committee, WADA has suggested that the U.S.
is hypocritical and behaving politically. Yet the U.S. has, for
decades, been a leader in tackling some of the most important
challenging issues affecting elite sport and has never shied
away from taking action, even when the target is the United
States. From confronting the issue of sexual abuse of athletes
to the equal pay for Team USA Act and more, the United States
and this Committee have repeatedly stepped up to protect
athletes and the integrity of sport.
The U.S. has, for decades, also shown the same resolve
concerning doping in sport. Countries like Russia and China
have long used doped athletes to win in international
competition. And the U.S. certainly has had its own issues.
Before USADA was formed, our drug testing program was
administered by the entities charged with selecting athletes
for international competition. This obvious conflict of
interest prevented the U.S. from administering a credible drug
testing and sanctioning program.
In the late 1990s, however, the U.S. Government took strong
steps to ensure that rather than ever being perceived as
cheaters, we would be leaders in the fight against doping in
sport. We led international efforts to establish WADA and
implement the World Anti-Doping Code, and in 2008, we adopted
the International Convention against Doping in Sport.
It is useful to review the principles underlying the
convention, which include the belief that doping has serious
consequences for athlete health, the principle of fair play and
the future of sport, the obligation that the international
community cooperate toward the elimination of doping in sport,
that public authorities and sport organizations have
responsibilities to prevent and combat doping in sport, and
that these authorities and organizations must ensure the
highest degree of independence and transparency.
The United States has more than lived up to these
obligations. Congress designated USADA as the official anti-
doping agency for the U.S. and provided the majority of USADA's
funding. This has been taxpayer money that is well spent. In my
role as Co-Chair of the Commission on the State of U.S.
Olympics and Paralympics, I saw firsthand how USADA has
performed.
Although our Commission was not charged by Congress to
review USADA's operations, our research, surveys, and
interviews repeatedly turned up evidence that USADA is a
trusted, respected organization that is fulfilling its mission.
USADA operates the way a national anti-doping organization
should and, indeed, the way any domestic or international
sporting organization should.
Unfortunately, I cannot today say the same about WADA. The
way WADA handled the Russian and Chinese doping cases and
others have made clear that it is not enough to hope that
individual WADA leaders do the right thing. WADA's structure
must be such that it can and will always do the right thing.
This is not a partisan issue. Under both the previous Trump
and Biden administrations, we have taken steps to ensure that
WADA fulfills its promise. Yet despite years of U.S. efforts to
work with WADA to achieve the necessary reforms, WADA still has
not fully implemented the changes necessary to ensure that the
principles reflected in the Convention against doping in sport
are consistently upheld and not disregarded when politically
expedient.
This is not surprising, as WADA remains far too tethered to
the International Olympic Committee and international sport
powers and does not operate with the independence and an ethic
of transparency that are necessary to meet its mission.
Continuing to fund WADA under these circumstances risks
endorsing the status quo, and it also sends a message to
American athletes and the American public that clean sport and
fair competition are no longer a priority.
In conclusion, in 2008, I wrote a law journal article that
questioned whether the fight for clean sport could survive in
long term. I stated that the fight against doping may not
continue with as much force as in the early years of WADA if
the international community does not follow through and, quote,
``suspicions of athlete doping from countries such as China and
Russia persist.''
Members of the Committee, we are at that point. If the
commitment to clean, fair sport is to endure, the United States
must take a lead role to ensure that WADA fulfills its mission.
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this
important discussion and I welcome your questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Koller follows:]
Prepared Statement of Dionne Koller, Professor of Law and Director,
Center for Sport and the Law, University of Baltimore School of Law
Chairman Blackburn, Ranking Member Hickenlooper, and Members of the
Committee:
My name is Dionne Koller, and I am a Professor of Law and the
Director of the Center for Sport and the Law at the University of
Baltimore. I have published several scholarly articles on the United
States's efforts to fight doping in sport, and I currently serve on the
United States Anti-
Doping Agency's (USADA) Administrative Review Panel. I also co-
chaired the bi-partisan Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and
Paralympics which provided its report to Congress last year.\1\ I
appreciate the opportunity to testify about the state of the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its effectiveness in policing and
preventing cheating in international sports through prohibited athlete
performance enhancement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Passing the Torch: Modernizing Olympic, Paralympic & Grassroots
Sports in America, The Final Report of the Commission on U.S. Olympics
and Paralympics (2024). The report was transmitted to every member of
Congress and may also be found here: https://www.csusop.org/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
As an initial matter, I would like to commend this Committee for
taking up the issue of how the United States should respond to WADA's
continued failure to fully meet its mission. WADA has suggested that
the U.S. is behaving politically and hypocritically.\2\ Yet the U.S.,
and this Committee, has for decades been a leader in confronting some
of the most important, difficult issues affecting elite international
sport, and has never shied away from taking action, even when the
target is the United States. From addressing the issue of sexual abuse
of athletes in American Olympic and Paralympic sport to the Equal Pay
for Team USA Act, the U.S., and this Committee, has led the effort to
protect athletes and the integrity of sport. The U.S. has for decades
also shown the same resolve concerning doping in sport, and the
proposed Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act is a
necessary step in this continuing fight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See, e.g., https://english.news.cn/20240626/
97b3a19c2074452db180de1c77aa6768/c.html.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, it is important to highlight the basis for WADA
calling the U.S. ``hypocritical'' in decrying WADA's, and nations like
China and Russia's, failure to consistently follow the rules for clean
international sport. WADA asserts that because U.S. professional sports
leagues and colleges and universities, which participate in sport
according to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, are
not subject to USADA's anti-doping controls, USADA and the U.S. are not
doing what is necessary domestically to fight doping in sport.
This critique at best reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of
the structure of U.S. sport and the many features of it that differ
significantly from the conduct of sport throughout the world. The
United States does not have a sports ministry or government agency that
controls the private entities such as the National Football League or
NCAA that oversee sport in their respective contexts. Additionally,
millions of athletes participate in sports programs that are embedded
in schools. For those occurring in public schools, constitutional
issues, among others, would likely arise with the types of doping
controls used in international sport, and such controls would also
involve significant disruptions to the educational setting and impact
parents' rights. For sports occurring in the professional context,
international doping protocols would have to be reconciled with
athletes' labor and employment rights. In short, the statement that the
U.S. is hypocritical fails to account for the unique way in which
American sport is legally organized and implemented.
It also fails to account for the fact that because of this unique
approach to sport, the United States enacted the Ted Stevens Olympic
and Amateur Sports Act. Under that statute's terms, any athlete--
whether professional, intercollegiate, interscholastic, or grassroots
youth--who also represents the U.S. in Olympic or Paralympic Movement
competition or is affiliated with a sport national governing body--must
comply with all anti-doping protocols administered by USADA and
mandated by the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC). The integrity of purely
domestic sport, some of which occurs in educational institutions, has
always been an important law and policy issue in the United States. It
is not subject to WADA's jurisdiction. WADA's claims about the U.S. are
therefore an unfortunate deflection away from the real issue, which are
the serious and continuing challenges to the integrity of international
sport.
There is a long history of doping in the Olympic movement.
Countries like the former East Germany and the Soviet Union, now
Russia, as well as China, have for decades used doped athletes to win
in, and disrupt, international competition. The pressure to meet this
cheating even drove some United States athletes in the past to engage
in doping. Since as far back as 1973, Congress has held hearings on the
issue,\3\ and at that time, athletes made clear that they felt intense
pressure to dope to keep up with the drug-tainted athletes from nations
determined to subvert the integrity of international sports to win
medals. It should never be this way.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Dionne Koller, Sports, Doping, and the Regulatory Tipping
Point, 26 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 181 (2015).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The United States certainly has had its own issues in the fight
against sports doping. Before USADA was formed, the former United
States Olympic Committee (now the United States Olympic and Paralympic
Committee) administered drug testing through each sport's National
Governing Body (NGB), which was also charged with prosecuting athletes
for doping violations under the NGB's own administrative procedures.
This meant that the entities charged with selecting athletes for
Olympic and international competition also administered drug testing
and determined the sanctions, and the obvious conflict of interest
prevented the United States from administering a credible drug testing
and sanctioning program. Congress took notice. In the words of the late
Senator John McCain, Olympic doping scandals ``harm our image and will
contribute to our image, whether deserved or undeserved, that the
United States is a bully and unethical.'' \4\ The United States
government took steps to ensure that rather than being perceived as
cheaters, we would be leaders in the fight against doping in sport.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ Dionne Koller, From Medals to Morality: Sportive Nationalism
and the Problem of Doping in Sports, 19 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 91 (2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the late 1990s, General Barry McCaffrey, former head of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), made fighting drug use
in Olympic Movement and professional sports a top priority, adopting a
national strategy to combat drug use and doping in sports. This
strategy included leading the international efforts to develop WADA,
which began operations in 1999, and USADA, which began operations in
2000. The United States also was a leader in drafting the WADC,
initially adopted in 2003.
Given that governments cannot be signatories to the WADC, in 2005
UNESCO adopted the International Convention Against Doping in Sport,
which was the vehicle for governments to formally recognize WADA and
the WADC. The United States ratified the convention in 2008, and the
International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee
require that all nations that seek to host an Olympic or Paralympic
Games sign on. It is useful to review the rationales for, and
underlying beliefs cited in the Convention, which include:
The belief that doping has serious consequences for athlete
``health, the principle of fair play . . .and the future of
sport'';
The obligation that the international community cooperate
``towards the elimination of doping in sport'';
That public authorities and sport organizations ``have. .
.responsibilities to prevent and combat doping in sport''; and
That these authorities and organizations must ensure ``the
highest degree of independence and transparency.''
Based on these principles, the Convention obligates state parties,
among other things, to fight doping within their jurisdiction and
support the mission of WADA, and makes clear that state parties have an
obligation to ``withhold some or all financial or other sport-related
support from any sports organization or anti-doping organization not in
compliance with'' the WADC. The United States has lived up to these
obligations.
USADA was established as a private corporation and truly
independent entity tasked with implementing the WADC. Congress has
designated USADA as the ``official'' anti-doping agency for the United
States, and its mission has been to ensure that American athletes train
and compete clean. To that end, Congress has provided the majority of
USADA's funding. This has been taxpayer money that is well spent.
In my role as co-chair of the Commission on the State of U.S.
Olympics and Paralympics, I saw first-hand how USADA has performed.
Although our commission was not charged by Congress to review USADA's
operations, our research, surveys, and interviews regarding the topics
of our study repeatedly turned up evidence that USADA is a trusted,
respected organization that is fulfilling its mission. Since its
formation, it has not hesitated to test and sanction even America's
most accomplished, decorated athletes. USADA operates the way a
national anti-doping organization should, and indeed the way any
domestic and international sporting organization should. As the
Commission stated in its report, USADA stands as ``a beacon of
confidence within the movement.''
Unfortunately, I cannot today say the same about WADA. In its early
years, WADA appeared to have leadership that was committed to the goals
of clean sport and enforcing the WADC no matter the political
circumstances. However, several doping scandals in recent years prompt
important questions about whether WADA is willing and able to meet its
mission. In 2014, Russia orchestrated a state-run campaign of
systematic athlete doping and cover-ups that tainted the Sochi Games.
In 2022, Russian skater Kamila Valieva competed in the Beijing Olympics
despite a positive doping test. And, of course, 23 Chinese swimmers
tested positive for a banned, performance-enhancing drug in 2021 but
were cleared to compete in subsequent Olympic Games. Only through
courageous whistleblower reports did the international community learn
the truth. These cases and others have made it apparent that it is not
enough to hope that individual WADA leaders do the right thing. WADA's
structure must be such that it can and will do the right thing. As the
largest government contributor to WADA's budget, the United States must
continue to demand greater accountability.
Seeking greater accountability from WADA and protecting clean sport
for American athletes is not a partisan issue. Under both the previous
Trump and Biden administrations, we have taken steps to ensure that
WADA fulfills its promise and the U.S. remains committed to the
international anti-doping effort. For instance, in 2019, Congress
passed the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, authorizing prosecutors to go
after those who execute doping schemes in major international sports
competitions. In 2020, an ONDCP report detailed the ways WADA needed to
be reformed to be able operate with the transparency, accountability,
and fairness the international sporting community, and sports fans,
deserve. Most recently, the United States has withheld its contribution
to WADA. Yet despite years of efforts to work with WADA to achieve the
necessary reforms, WADA still has not fully implemented the changes
necessary to ensure that the principles reflected in the International
Convention Against Doping in Sport are consistently upheld and not
disregarded when politically expedient.
This is not surprising, as WADA remains far too tethered to the
International Olympic Committee and international sport powers and does
not operate with the independence necessary to meet its mission. In my
role as Commission co-chair, I saw clearly the importance of
institutional independence. With its dedicated government funding and
independent governance structure, USADA has fulfilled its obligations
to international sport and the American public, and within the U.S.
Olympic and Paralympic movement it enjoys the highest levels of trust
and respect. In contrast, our Commission found that SafeSport, with its
ties to the USOPC and its funding structure, is not nearly as trusted.
Similarly, WADA's structure and susceptibility to political influence
mean that its legitimacy is continuously subject to question, and its
actions in recent cases have not dispelled the concern that it is
unable to fully ensure clean sport. Since at least 2016, WADA has been
working to strengthen its governance, with an eye toward making
enhancements to its structure to ensure its independence. The latest
issue with the Chinese swimmers demonstrates that this work is not
finished, and further delays are unacceptable.
Given our history in WADA's founding and its status as its largest
government funder, the United States is in a unique position to demand
the promised reforms. Indeed, continuing to fund WADA without doing so
risks endorsing the status quo. It also sends a message to American
athletes and the American public that clean sport and fair competition
are no longer a priority. This Committee should continue its leadership
around the most pressing issues in elite international sport by seeking
to ensure that WADA follows through on its governance reforms and
provides the type of transparency--on the issue of the Chinese swimmers
and other high-profile cases--that will restore the confidence of the
international sports community and international sports fans.
In conclusion, in 2008 I wrote a law journal article that
questioned whether the fight for clean sport would survive in the long
term, stating that ``while it is hard in the current climate to imagine
the anti-doping zeal waning . . . the international political climate
is susceptible to change, [and] it may be that the anti-doping effort
is not continued with as much force as it is today . . . if several
nations which purport to adopt the World Anti-Doping Code do not follow
through, and suspicions of athlete doping from countries such as China
and Russia persist.'' \5\ Members of the Committee, we are at that
point. If the commitment to clean, fair international sport is to
endure, the United States must take a lead role, as it did in
establishing WADA, to ensure that WADA follows through and fulfills its
mission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Dionne Koller, From Medals to Morality: Sportive Nationalism
and the Problem of Doping in Sports, 19 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 91 (2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this important
discussion. I welcome your questions.
Senator Blackburn. We thank all of our witnesses for their
testimonies and each of you for your commitment to this cause.
I do have a short video. There are other athletes in the video
that wanted to be present with us today and are unable to do
so. So if the clerk will play the video.
[Video plays.]
Senator Blackburn. I recognize Senator Hickenlooper for
five minutes of questions.
Senator Hickenlooper. Again, thank you, Madam Chair. Thank
you all for being here.
Let me start with Ms. McLaughlin again, and thank you for
your dedication, your service to Team USA. It really is
remarkable. You stepped inside the lines to compete for your
country at the highest level. Given all that we have heard, can
you see, can we rebuild the confidence in having a level
playing field?
Ms. McLauglin. I think that there is definitely hope
amongst us athletes that we can. It is super important to us
all when we are dedicating so much of our time and our lives,
and people in our lives are sacrificing for us as well, that
there is potential for us, too. And I think that by doing
things like this and putting trust in you guys and USADA and
everything, I think we are making the right step.
Senator Hickenlooper. Great. Thank you. I appreciate it.
You are a role model for so many young people. I really
appreciate that.
Ms. Koller, I am going to swim off a little bit here. A
recent House settlement ruled that NCAA Division One schools
must pay former athletes over $2 billion in total compensation.
Football, basketball, the money flows. Not so much with
swimming, track and field. While the aftermath of the House
settlement is recent, some Division One schools are considering
cutting funding to the non, they call it the non-revenue
sports, in the aftermath of the House settlement. What options
do universities have, in your opinion, to, across all levels of
the NCAA, to grow non-revenue sports?
Ms. Koller. Well, I think there are lots of options,
Senator, and thank you for that question. I think the House
settlement does not need to be the death knell for Olympic and
Paralympic movement sports at our colleges and universities. I
think there is much more to say about this. Every school is in
a different position. We know that there are different levels
of athletic programs, but I think the solutions are there. And
I think the idea that we have to cut Olympic and Paralympic
movement programs is wrong.
I think there is a lot that can be done, and I would be
very happy to follow up with you in the questions for the
record to provide you with a lot of specific ideas that have
been out there.
Senator Hickenlooper. Great. We will pursue that.
And Ms. McLaughlin, again, you obviously have a vested
interest in this and you have lived it firsthand. How important
is it, in your opinion, to maintaining that all the Olympic
sports and making sure that swimming and diving, how important
is that to the future competitiveness of Team USA?
Ms. McLauglin. Yes, totally. I loved my time swimming in
the NCAA. It was some of my most fond memories as an athlete,
and I think it gives so many young swimmers and athletes
something to dream of and look forward to. And yes, I think it
was an amazing experience, so thank you.
Senator Hickenlooper. Good. I am glad to hear that.
Ms. Ledecky, when she spoke on Sunday, I think she
estimated she swam 26,000 miles and looked at every mile as an
investment in who she was to become. And I am sure that all of
you had that same kind of commitment and that investment in
yourselves, which is truly powerful for the next generation.
Mr. Tygart, thank you for your work with leading the U.S.
Anti-Doping Agency. Is it clear that the World Anti-Doping
Agency, that WADA, has lost the confidence of many athletes? I
think we know what that is, but what reforms or actions do you
think WADA needs to take to rebuild trust within sporting
federations and athletes before the 2028 Olympics?
Mr. Tygart. Thank you, Senator, for the question. Listen,
we hear from athletes every day, and you heard from the video
not just based here in the United States, who are frustrated,
who are upset, who realize the global regulator does not
actually have their back, in fact. And so, I think the
confidence has been undermined and it is coming on the heels of
the Russia state-sponsored doping. If you see in my long
testimony about the weightlifting, it was biathlon before that,
it was track and field before that. Here we go again. And we
have to get this cleaned up to be effective going forward.
Senator Hickenlooper. Obviously, transparency and
accountability----
Mr. Tygart. I think the silver bullet on reform, to answer
the second question is independence, and I think with
independence, then flows transparency, accountability,
effective use of resources, engaging in dialogue to how to
better themselves----
Senator Hickenlooper. And trust.
Mr. Tygart.--and then, ultimately, trust, which is the most
important aspect for a system that is supposed to give
confidence to athletes doing it the right way is the only way
to win.
Senator Hickenlooper. Right.
And Dr. Gupta, how do you think we can build the
international collaborative efforts to get back to this goal of
trust?
Dr. Gupta. Thank you for that question, Senator. I think it
is going to be important that the United States works with
other countries like-minded. We have worked within the Americas
41 nations where we were elected for the second time just this
past April. I think we have to continue to do that with the
European partners, allies in New Zealand, in Australia, in
Japan, and others to make sure that, again, the transparency,
accountability is first and foremost in order to build that
trust into WADA.
Senator Hickenlooper. Great. Thank you very much. I yield
back to the Chair.
Senator Blackburn. We thank you and know you have to rush
off.
Senator Hickenlooper. I appreciate it.
Senator Blackburn. So go make that speech well.
Senator Hickenlooper. I will. Thank you.
Senator Blackburn. We are depending on him.
Ms. McLaughlin, I want to come to you first. Talk to me a
minute about how it made you feel when you read The New York
Times expose and you felt like it was confirmed to you that you
had been beat because somebody was a cheater, and here you were
putting your heart and soul into your training, and you get to
that moment to get that medal and it is not there because
somebody cheated you out of it.
Ms. McLauglin. Yes, thank you for your question. It was
devastating, honestly. I remember getting the call from USADA,
letting me know that The New York Times article was going to
break. I was just so taken aback and heartbroken. And I think I
spent a lot of my career trusting in the powers that be, and it
was really sad to find out that that is not someone who could
be trusted, meaning WADA.
I think a lot of my teammates and I were just pretty let
down, and I think at the end of the day, all I can control was
myself and my own race, and my teammates could only control
their part of the race. So that is something to kind of hold
onto. But I think just pretty devastating, heartbreaking all
around. But thank you.
Senator Blackburn. Mr. Tygart, as we have mentioned before,
as soon as the allegations came to light, I got a letter out to
WADA demanding to know why they felt like they could ignore
this doping. And their answer back to me was insufficient. And,
of course, they blame everyone but themselves, which is not a
surprise to us. And they even said that there was no basis to
challenge that contamination and that the source was TMZ. And
so, there you go. We find out, of course, that they have lied
about this. And I know you have reviewed their response.
I want you to just talk for a minute about why it is
completely implausible that the Chinese swimmers were
unwittingly contaminated?
Mr. Tygart. Thank you for the question, Senator Blackburn,
and for your efforts, including the introduction of the Restore
Confidence in WADA Act that is before this Subcommittee.
Listen, I think we have attempted to get answers, just as
you all have, to what really happened. We have seen what they
have produced, which is very little. They appointed a very
limited review of their own actions. And you do not have to
take it from me. You can take it from what he determined, and
he determined that they did not prove contamination, and that
it was just as plausible to be intentional use.
You then couple that with the fact that WADA did no
investigation, just blindly accepted the factual scenario that
was provided by the Chinese. And, in fact, months before these
positive tests showed up on their desk, they had interviewed a
defector, a whistleblower from China, who had indicated to them
that TMZ was being given in a systemic fashion to athletes, but
yet WADA leaders never brought in their independent
investigative unit. They have a 16-person, very experienced
investigative unit. They were not involved at all with
investigating the facts of this case.
TMZ is a prescription medication in some countries. It does
not just show up in the kitchen. It is unbelievable to think
that Tinkerbell showed up and sprinkled it within the kitchen.
The Chinese did not find anyone using it. They did not find it
in the food. And the amount of food, the amount of contaminated
drink you would have to actually eat or consume to get these
levels was a few micrograms. I think we did the analysis based
on the information that is out there. It is like 11 pounds of
food and over, I think, seven gallons of liquid in order to get
the levels.
And to think that Chinese athletes at the top of their game
are going to do that type of diet the day before an event or
the day after one event before the next day's race is just
absolutely ludicrous, and it is why we have asked for the
questions, why hasn't this followed the process and the
protocols that are in place?
Senator Blackburn. Let me ask you this, kind of following
on to that. Why do you think that WADA thought they could
intimidate the U.S. and the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Salt
Lake City officials, and why was there a capitulation there?
Mr. Tygart. Listen, I think it is what happened in Paris, I
think you are referring to. I think it is Exhibit A of the
value and the importance of independence in anti-doping
enforcement. You have the perception that the IOC leveraged the
giving of the Olympic Games in exchange for us bowing down, as
Senator Cruz mentioned, to the supreme authority of WADA. Those
should not be co-mingled whatsoever.
Now, we have been assured from the United State Olympic and
Paralympic Committee that it is meaningless, there was no quid
pro quo in their mind, and we must give credit to the United
States Olympic and Paralympic Committee because they did make
the independent decision to create USADA. You have heard from
some of the other witnesses about the effective model of
independence.
They took the courage back in late 1999, early 2000, to say
we are going to be involved to help fund, but we are not going
to be involved from a decisionmaking standpoint. We are going
to remove the fox from guarding the henhouse here in the United
States. And we think, and Professor Koller testified to it, we
think that has made all the difference in enforcement. And
unfortunately, that is not what has happened and occurred with
the IOC and with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Senator Blackburn. All right, five minutes to the gentleman
from Utah.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN CURTIS,
U.S. SENATOR FROM UTAH
Senator Curtis. Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you to
our witnesses. Mr. Tygart, as you know, Utah hosted the 2002
Winter Olympics. I think by everybody's standards it was a
tremendous success, both for the state and for the Olympics.
Today, imagine our pride in hosting the 2034 games, and to us
building on that legacy that we had in 2002 is just really
important.
And to be honest, if you asked the average person on the
street in Utah about WADA or USADA, they would not know what
was going on. But they do know this. They want the Olympics in
2034 to be the cleanest Olympics in the history of Olympics.
So, what has to happen? What does WADA--can they restore trust?
And to restore trust, specifically, not in generalities, what
do they need to do?
Mr. Tygart. Listen, I think the silver bullet to restoring
trust is independence. They promised an independent President
and Vice President; they broke, betrayed that promise. And that
was part of why the U.S., back in 2020, agreed to fund WADA,
was making it more independent. That was in the legislative
language to the funding that U.S. taxpayers agreed to send to
WADA, and that was supposed to go into effect, but they changed
the rules mid-game. A bait and switch is what happened.
I do firmly believe if you put an independent President and
Vice President on the Executive Committee, which then also
means it is on the foundation board--they are the same people--
then we can begin the process of ensuring that it is
trustworthy, that it is transparent, has accountability, and
change the culture so it is not a service or lapdog to sport,
but it is actually a dedicated, faithful servant to clean
athletes.
Senator Curtis. Great. Thank you. Katie, thank you for
being here today. There are not many people that have done what
you did, and there are not many people who could come here
today and fill the role that you are filling. I think, in many
ways, there are a lot of people, both in Congress and
professionally, who are working on getting this fixed. But you
represent the athletes, so what do we need to do so that the
next person that stands on that pool deck feels like, ``You
know what? This is going to be fair.''
Ms. McLauglin. Thank you for your question. I do not have
the specific ground rules of a plan of what I think should be
done, but I think just echoing what Travis has said of
independence and finding a way to find a way for the athletes
to be able to trust WADA is super important. And I think that
is pretty much it.
Senator Curtis. Good, good. Well said.
Dr. Gupta, we have talked about transparency. In your legal
opinion, in your professional opinion, how does that happen,
and is there possible legal action under Rodchenkov Anti-Doping
legislation, do we need to do?
Dr. Gupta. Thank you, Senator, and I really appreciate the
work of this Committee, actually, on this issue. It is really
critical.
I do echo my colleagues' thoughts here about the true
independence. I also think having the independent code
compliance audits is important. I think making sure there are
no conflicts of interest in the leadership of WADA is
important. I think independent athletes' representation is
important. I think strengthening our oversight of it and having
that representation.
What I have found is if we are not at the seat, we cannot
impact change and we are about the most independent. And you
have heard Katie talk about what U.S. athletes do, and we want
to make sure that everybody is doing it, first of all. But more
importantly, we want to make sure that cheaters are not part of
that system. And then, of course, engaging our corporate
stakeholders and leveraging much more diplomatic channels.
I think all of those things, we cannot give up our
authority under the Rodchenkov Act to go after the entourage of
bad actors. And that is where the supreme authority language
kind of does not work for the United States, when these games
are coming to you and U.S., and we are so proud of those as
well. Thank you.
Senator Curtis. Let me ask this. Athletes are going to get
more and more innovative at cheating. What resources do we need
to bring to the table to deal with that?
Dr. Gupta. I think we do, Congress has to think about more
resources in terms of supporting USADA's work, because I do
think that more R&D and more work will be required in the
future because we have a decade, a golden decade in the United
States, where we will have so much more sports. But also
ensuring that--you know, I withheld the funding because we were
not getting results. So, we have to be more accountable
ourselves, as well as expect accountability out of WADA.
Senator Curtis. Good. Ms. Koller, I have just a few seconds
left. Would you like to weigh in on any of the questions that I
asked?
Ms. Koller. No, Senator. I think it has been well covered.
Thank you.
Senator Curtis. OK, yes, thank you. Madam Chair, I yield.
Senator Blackburn. Thank you. I have got a couple of more
questions. You all have been generous with your time, and we do
appreciate it so much, because we do want to get this
legislation across the line, and get something on the books,
and be able to hold WADA to account. And we know WADA and their
allies are going to fight this. As I said earlier, they have
refused to come to the Committee. They have refused to provide
an explanation. I am certain part of that is they do not want
to be under oath and have to admit what is done.
But Dr. Gupta, you have been somebody who made the decision
to withhold those funds, and that was an impactful decision.
And I want you to talk for the record, for just a minute, about
why it is so important that Congress pass this legislation,
give the ONDCP the permanent authority to oversee these funds,
and then why it was important to withhold those funds?
Dr. Gupta. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. Congress passed the
authority in the first Trump administration, gave us the
authority to withhold that. We exercised that for the right
reasons. I think it is really important in legislation to
ensure that ONDCP has that oversight authority to work in
conjunction closely with USADA, as well as the U.S. Olympic and
Paralympic Committees, to ensure that American athletes are
getting a level playing field. And only once that is done is we
pay our dues.
Of course, WADA is not in favor of conditional dues
payment, because the argument is, well, every country will do
that. But not every country is paying $3.6 million and that is
matched by IOC, which is over $7 million. So, it is a large
amount. I do think we have to have both the ability to withhold
funds, but also appropriate representation on the governing
bodies of WADA so we can hold folks accountable, as well as
address the bureaucratic aspects. Sometimes, as we saw with
this scandal, that often becomes the reason for delaying or
deferring or deflecting, really, incompetence and malfeasance.
Senator Blackburn. Thank you. Mr. Tygart, I want to ask you
about, I think it is Jannik Sinner, and that case. And of
course that had to do with the International Tennis Integrity
Agency, and they determined that there was a positive test for
a banned steroid, and then they decided that Sinner bore no
fault or negligence for the positive test. And then WADA, about
a month later, announced that it would appeal that decision.
And so you have got the athlete and WADA entering into a
resolution that resulted in a three-month ban.
But it seems that WADA approached that very differently
from how they approached the Chinese swimmers' case. And I do
not know if you have insight into why you think they would have
approached these cases so differently?
Mr. Tygart. It is impossible, based on what we have seen,
to give even speculation of why they were approached so
differently. And what was so distressing, and why you hear some
of the world's top tennis players so outspoken about the
unfairness now that they perceive in tennis, was because how
WADA treated this Sinner case, where they appealed it, rattled
the sabers, that it should be a 1- to 2-year suspension, and
then on the eve of the hearing, cut a deal with a very rarely
used provision, and in their explanation, attempted to say
there were 67 other cases where they treated it similarly. We
have gone out and tried to find those cases and they are
nowhere to be found.
And so it raises once again this idea that WADA is
unilaterally making decisions not in line with the
transparency, the disclosure rules, which are absolutely
mandatory.
And I neglected to say it earlier, but make no mistake on
the Chinese cases. Even if there was contamination, Madam
Chairwoman, they still had to announce those cases. They still
had to disqualify those athletes. So, there is no justifiable
reason, these basic rules of transparency, even if it was
contamination, which of course we do not believe that it was,
and Cottier decided it was not necessarily proven, they still
had to disclose them.
Senator Blackburn. I want to ask you about something in
your testimony. You said China has paid an extra $1.8 million.
That is much more than their required dues. And they have done
that since 2018. Correct?
Mr. Tygart. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Blackburn. And in 2022, the Chinese earmarked
$500,000 specifically for investigations and intelligence. And
WADA turned a blind eye to every bit of this and allowed the
Chinese swimmers to go ahead and come in. So, do you believe
there was a quid pro quo in this?
Mr. Tygart. It is impossible to answer. However, what is
clear is the perceived, at best case for WADA, the perceived
conflict of, on the one hand, accepting, in addition to what
you just mentioned, they have a private sponsorship with ANTA,
the biggest Chinese--it is the Nike of China, that also
sponsors the Chinese swim team and the Chinese Olympic team.
So, they are getting extra gifts from China on the one
hand, including the $500,000 you mentioned specifically for
investigation effort. And then on the other hand, they do not
apply the rules, even if you believed it was contamination to
China, and do not even investigate the facts that came across
their desk. So, at a minimum, the perception of that is what is
destroying the credibility in this system.
Senator Blackburn. Well, indeed it has.
And I want to thank each of you for being here today and
for your testimony and for your patience as we were running
back and forth to the Capitol for votes.
I will remind all of our Senators on this Committee that
they have until the close of business on June 24 to submit
their questions for the record. And then you, as our witnesses,
will have until July 8, to respond to each of those.
This concludes our hearing today. The Committee stands
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 3:44 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to
Travis T. Tygart
Question Topic: Independence
Your testimony made clear that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
does not operate with the independence necessary to meet its mission--
and that increased independence will help generate other needed
reforms.
Question. What can this Committee do to ensure WADA operates with
more independence?
Answer. The Committee can ensure WADA implements the reforms which
promised an independent President and Vice-President of WADA and by
supporting an independent, external, World Anti-Doping Code compliance
audit of WADA to evaluate WADA's compliance with their roles and
responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code. In addition, the
Committee can ensure WADA's operates with more independence by
supporting independent athlete representation, as defined in bill
S.233, the Restoring Confidence to WADA Act of 2025, at WADA governing
bodies. Finally, the Committee could also condition future U.S.
taxpayer funding to WADA on these factors being achieved at WADA.
______
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to
Dr. Rahul Gupta
Question Topic: Increasing Transparency
The New York Times investigative report revealed that 23 Chinese
swimmers had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine
before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. As you described in your testimony,
``This revelation was not disclosed by any Executive Committee meeting
or official WADA communication but came to light through a media
report, catching us all by surprise.''
Question. What specific, proactive steps can we take now,
especially in advance of the 2028 Olympics, to ensure such a
``surprise'' does not happen again?
Answer. Senator Klobuchar, thank you for this important question. I
believe that Congress has multiple policy and strategic levers it can
use to push for reform at WADA and enhance the agency's transparency,
accountability, and overall effectiveness to ensure that this type of
``surprise'' does not happen during any international sporting event on
U.S. Soil with WADA's involvement.
These include:
1. Conditional Funding Legislation
Congress has the authority to advance legislation--such as the
proposed ``Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act''--
that conditions future U.S. funding for WADA on the implementation of
key governance reforms. This strategy would allow the United States to
assert meaningful influence and promote institutional accountability,
while safeguarding the interests of clean athletes.
Potential conditions tied to funding could include:
a) Routine, independent audits of WADA's code compliance operations
b) Increased independent athlete representation on WADA's governing
bodies and committees
c) Mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosures and enforceable
recusal standards
d) Independent oversight and investigation of major doping cases
e) Transparent and publicly accessible decision-making processes
f) Robust whistleblower protections
g) A permanent halt to WADA's efforts to penalize public authorities
for choosing not to pay voluntary dues
2. Expand ONDCP's Oversight Authority
Congress can enhance the Office of National Drug Control Policy's
(ONDCP) role by granting it formal authority to oversee U.S. engagement
with international anti-doping organizations. This would empower ONDCP
to:
a) Work with like-minded partners to change WADA rules that would
allow permanent U.S. representation on WADA's Executive
Committee, Foundation Board, or both, ensuring consistent
advocacy for American interests.
b) Partner with U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA) to publish
independent assessments of WADA's adherence to international
standards and governance best practices.
3. Convene Hearings and Investigations
Congress can continue to demonstrate that it takes the issue of
protecting clean American athletes as well as those across the world by
continuing to have future hearings which would further examine:
a) WADA's persistent failure to implement meaningful reforms and
operate as a transparent, accountable international anti-doping
organization
b) The influence of conflicted officials within WADA and how this
has contributed to an uneven playing field that disadvantages
American athletes
c) The ongoing exclusion of the United States from WADA's Executive
Committee and Foundation Board
d) The impact of undisclosed gifts, preferential treatment, or other
disproportionate influences exerted by national governments or
private entities on WADA leadership
e) The potential need for an alternative anti-doping authority if
WADA continues to fall short of its obligations to the global
sports community
4. Utilize Diplomatic Influence
Congress can call upon the U.S. Department of State and American
delegates to international sports bodies to:
a) Forge alliances with reform-minded nations committed to fair play
and transparency
b) Collaborate with global institutions--such as UNESCO, which
oversees the anti-doping convention--to modernize governance
frameworks
c) Advocate for WADA to adhere to internationally recognized
standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability
5. Mobilize Corporate Influence
Given that American corporations contribute billions to the
International Olympic Committee and, by extension, the global sports
ecosystem, Congress can use its voice to engage these stakeholders.
Encouraging them to champion clean sport and institutional reform as
part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives would add
meaningful economic pressure for change.
6. Explore Independent Oversight Options
Congress can continue its oversight and monitoring role and
evaluate whether and when to support the creation of an independent
international oversight body to monitor WADA's decisions and ensure
compliance. While this would be a last-resort approach, it would
demonstrate that accountability in global anti-doping efforts is not
optional, and the United States Congress remains committed in standing
up for clean athletes at international levels.
______
Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Amy Klobuchar to
Kathryn McLaughlin
Question Topic: Concern for Next Generation of American Swimmers
I appreciate your commitment to protecting the next generation of
American swimmers and upholding the integrity of international swimming
competitions.
Question. Are you concerned that without a strong and independent
WADA the next generation of American swimmers will feel pressure to use
performance-enhancing drugs?
Answer. The landscape of USA Swimming has always been fiercely
competitive, with athletes constantly on the rise, breaking new
barriers, and striving to gain any possible edge. The culture places a
strong emphasis on pride, discipline, and hard work. Which are values
that drive American swimmers to go above and beyond in pursuit of
excellence. While I don't believe that distrust in WADA will lead
American athletes to use performance-enhancing drugs, I do think it can
be discouraging. When the hope for a level playing field is lost, it
becomes harder for athletes to stay motivated and inspired.