The conflict between global anti-doping authorities has escalated dramatically after the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of attempting 'to smear America'.
A War of Words Over Las Vegas Event
The dispute centres on the Enhanced Games, a pro-doping sporting event scheduled for Las Vegas next year. WADA had suggested that USADA should take greater action to prevent the event from occurring. However, USADA President Travis Tygart launched a fierce counter-attack, labelling WADA's intervention a 'desperate attempt to divert attention' from its own handling of the 2021 Chinese swimming scandal.
Tygart specifically referenced 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance yet were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games. He stated, 'His attempts to smear America and our US Olympic and professional athletes is a desperate attempt to divert attention away from his failure in allowing China to sweep 23 positive tests under the carpet.'
The Shadow of the Chinese Swimming Scandal
The bitter feud between USADA and WADA has been simmering since reports last year revealed details of the 2021 incident. While an independent review later cleared WADA of bias, it did criticise the agency for its 'disorganisation' in dealing with the matter.
Tygart drew a direct parallel between the scandal and the Enhanced Games, suggesting that by allowing athletes with positive tests to compete, Wada had effectively permitted 'certain athletes to … have their own Enhanced Games'.
The tension was further exacerbated in January when the US government defaulted on $3.6 million of funding for WADA. At the time, Tygart publicly supported this decision as the 'only right choice to protect athletes' rights and fair competition'.
Diverging Priorities and Public Accusations
Tygart sought to distance US enforcement from the Enhanced Games, emphasising that his agency is focused on ensuring the cleanliness of major upcoming events like the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 'The Enhanced Games have nothing to do with our athletes, the World Cup, or the Olympics, and President Banka knows this,' he asserted.
In response, a WADA spokesperson called the staging of the Enhanced Games in the US 'an embarrassment' for Tygart. They expressed surprise that USADA refused to collaborate with the global anti-doping community to oppose the event, stating that WADA's strong stance against it is supported by clean athletes worldwide.
The public spat highlights a significant rift in the world of anti-doping, with two major agencies trading sharp accusations and defending their records amidst ongoing controversies.
