Chinese doping on their mind, US athletes send letter to America’s drug czar asking for answers
Two major US athletes’ groups sent a letter to the country’s drug czar calling for a “truly independent” investigation into the case that led to 23 Chinese swimmers being denied sanctions despite testing positive for a banned heart drug.
The USA Swimming Athletes’ Advisory Council and the Team USA Athletes’ Commission sent the letter Monday to Rahul Gupta, the director of the federal government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Gupta sits on the executive committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency and is expected to take part in a special meeting with other government officials in America on Tuesday to discuss the doping case.
Its role is important because governments fund half of WADA’s annual budget; the US has withheld payments in the past because it felt WADA was not carrying out its mission.
“As athletes, we must trust WADA to establish and enforce standards that ensure fair play and protect our rights,” the athletes wrote to Gupta. “WADA’s failure to follow its own rules and procedures in the wake of the positive tests of 23 Chinese athletes has broken this trust.”
WADA has strongly denied any rules were broken, saying China’s anti-doping authorities ruled the January 2021 swimmer samples were contaminated and there was no effective way for the world’s top anti-doping watchdog to appeal that ruling . Some of those swimmers competed in the Tokyo Olympics later that year.
Last week, WADA announced it would appoint an experienced Swiss prosecutor, Eric Cottier, to review its handling of the cases. But that decision was criticized because the prosecutor is from the same Swiss canton (state) where the International Olympic Committee and World Aquatics are based, and also because of what critics say is the scope of the review is limited.
Following a planned meeting of Western Hemisphere government leaders last week, Gupta released a statement calling WADA’s appointment of Cottier “an important first step in addressing the recent doping allegations.”
Gupta’s office did not immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment on Monday’s letter.
Among the members of the swimming athletes’ council is Lilly King, who has long been outspoken about doping in her sport.
“We are once again heading into another Olympic and Paralympic Games with serious concerns about whether the playing field is level and fair,” the athletes wrote to Gupta.
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Summer Olympics AP: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games