– I condemn this investigation and what it insinuates, said the president of the International Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Witold Banka, at an IOC meeting on Wednesday. He is talking about an investigation launched by the US authorities against 23 Chinese swimmers. The investigation is supported by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). In his speech, the Wada president also issued a warning to the Americans. – If the USA continues in this way, they will put themselves outside the international anti-doping system. This will have major consequences for international sport. – Puts himself above the world The case therefore goes back to January 2021. By then, 23 Chinese athletes will have tested positive in a doping test. Eleven of them are participating in the Olympics in Paris, which begin on Friday. The case has become a hot topic of conversation in the Olympic city in recent days. There has hardly been a press conference without the topic coming up. OLYMPIC MEDALS: China won a total of six Olympic medals in swimming in 2021. Photo: AP The swimmers are said to have ingested the drug trimetazidine, which is used in heart medicine. But the swimmers went free, without the public finding out about it. The reason was that the food in the hotel they were staying at must have been contaminated by the substance. WADA has been accused of being involved in hiding positive doping tests. So does the International Swimming Federation (WA). When the case became public in April, more than two years after the doping tests were taken, WADA started an internal investigation. The interim report published in July said WADA had done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, the report has been criticized for a question that remains unanswered: What really happened? The report had only looked at whether WADA had made mistakes, not whether the athletes were actually guilty. Therefore, the US authorities started their own investigation. In 2020, they passed a law that said they could investigate doping violations affecting American athletes. FRUSTRATED: President of WADA, Witold Banka, did not hold back on his criticism of the USA at today’s IOC meeting. Photo: AFP – This controversial law invokes jurisdiction in cases around the world. I know this investigation is alarming to many here. “Not only were there no American athletes at this event, there were no international events scheduled for the next six months,” the Wada president told IOC members. – This shows how the USA sees this law as a tool to put itself above the rest of the world, he added. – Has been incredibly devastating One of those who has been most clearly critical of both WADA and the Chinese anti-doping agency Chinada is Travis Tygart. He is head of the US Anti-Doping Agency and believes the Wada report that came out in July has several major errors. Among other things, he believes that those who were to be investigated in the Wada report were those who set up guidelines for what should actually be investigated. – Let’s hope that if this WADA investigation does not get to the bottom of what has happened, that the American investigation will finally hold the organizations responsible, Tygart said at the beginning of July, according to Reuters. DOPING: Travis Tygart (right) together with Mical Phelps at a meeting about the doping preparations for the 2024 Olympics. Photo: AP The Wada president reacts strongly to such statements. – They support the misinformation against WADA and World aquatics. This has been incredibly damaging to our reputation and to the trust athletes and others have in the international doping work, said Banka from the podium. At Wednesday’s IOC meeting, the USA was awarded the Winter Olympics in 2034. But before the award, the Americans had to answer critical questions from the assembly about the investigation the USA has initiated. – It has nothing to do with us. But it has something to do with our country and the Olympic movement. We have to do this right. When I look at the situation as it is now, we need to get together and talk together, said president of the American organizing committee, Fraser Bullock. 2034 Olympics: The United States and Salt Lake City were awarded the 2034 Olympics in today’s IOC meeting. Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters Shaking your head At the weekend, the German TV channel ARD also came out with a documentary which, among other things, looked more closely at this case. They were the ones who first revealed that the Chinese swimmers had tested positive without the world knowing about it. In the documentary, startling new information emerges. Among other things, that not all of the 23 athletes stayed at the hotel where the food is said to have been contaminated. Now Antidoping Norway is also calling for answers. – Based on what we know now, we must thoroughly investigate what actually happened. One must not only ask questions about what WADA has done, but go thoroughly into what has actually happened in China and in that kitchen. There are various signals, including from German TV, about what has happened, says managing director Anders Solheim to news. SUPPORT: General manager of Antidoping Norway, Anders Solheim (left) together with Travis Tygart in 2018. Photo: NTB He is also upset about Wada’s attack on the Americans. – That law passed several years ago. There was international opposition to that law at the time as well. But the point must be that there is a coincident interest here. There must be a coincident interest on the part of WADA and the USA in finding out what actually happened, without arguing about who should do what. Published 24/07/2024, at 18.01
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