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IOC chief Bach calls on US to respect WADA’s anti-doping regulations "We have full confidence in the work of WADA and have asked all the stakeholders involved in this public dispute to sit together and have a dialogue to come to a solution which ensures a fair competition and the fair treatment of all athletes of the world," Thomas Bach noted PARIS, August 9/ President of the International Olympic Organization (IOC) Thomas Bach called on Friday on the United States to respect regulations stipulated by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regarding all athletes. "Respect for the supreme authority of WADA," the IOC chief stated speaking to journalists in the French capital of Paris. "And we have been calling on everybody to respect this supreme authority as the IOC does." "We have delegated our entire anti-doping system to ITA [the International Testing Agency] and CAS [the Court of Arbitration for Sport]," he continued. "ITA working under this supreme authority of WADA." "We have full confidence in the work of WADA and have asked all the stakeholders involved in this public dispute to sit together and have a dialogue to come to a solution which ensures a fair competition and the fair treatment of all athletes of the world," Bach added. The United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code is set to be reviewed this month. This will mark the first time that WADA has filed an appeal with the Independent Compliance Court. The appeal comes in connection with the situation regarding the doping samples of Chinese swimmers. On April 21, The New York Times daily reported that 23 top Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance, the drug trimetazidine (TMZ), seven months prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) later said that it never punished the Chinese athletes because it could not refute information from the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) that the athletes had been exposed to the prohibited substance inadvertently. At that time, the CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart, accused the global anti-doping body and China’s anti-doping regulator of deliberately concealing the positive test results. (Part One, Continued in Part Two in the next post) #business #finance #financialservices

The world of anti-doping is anything but straightforward, as illustrated this year by the cases of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek - two world number one tennis players who tested positive for banned substances. Such cases inevitably spark debate: do elite athletes receive better treatment when facing such allegations? The perception is understandable, but the reality is more nuanced. Top athletes often resolve these matters quickly not due to leniency, but because they have the resources - legal teams, medical experts, and strategic advisors- to challenge findings, identify mitigating factors, and appeal effectively. In contrast, lesser-known players often lack the means to navigate these processes as efficiently, leaving them more vulnerable to lengthy suspensions and reputational harm. At the core of the issue lies the complexity of anti-doping cases. Establishing contamination, intent, or degrees of fault requires a meticulous examination of evidence, procedures, and regulations. This demands not only time but considerable expertise - resources that are more accessible to those at the top of their profession. These cases highlight a broader challenge for sport: how to maintain rigorous enforcement of anti-doping rules while ensuring that the process is fair, transparent, and equally accessible to all athletes, regardless of their ranking or financial resources. Aleph Strategies is currently undertaking an evaluation of UNESCO’s International Convention against Doping in Sport, exploring how this Convention supports States Parties to better address doping challenges while ensuring equity, accountability, and trust in anti-doping systems worldwide. #Tennis #AntiDoping #FairnessInSport #EquityInProcess #AlephStrategies

"In principle, WADA’s job as global regulator is not complicated: All it has to do is apply the rules to the facts without fear or favor. But the pursuit of global power-politics in sports is a systemic problem that overrules any notion of fair play, and WADA failed to deploy its new tools effectively. When WADA received notice of the Chinese swimmers’ positives in 2021, it should have sanctioned CHINADA for its mishandling of the violations. The positive-test findings occurred just months, in fact, before Beijing was to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. So had WADA applied the rules correctly, both China and the IOC itself would have faced grave embarrassment. Instead, WADA chose to give one country—a very powerful, rising country that had already been favored as host of the next Games—preferential treatment." - Travis T. Tygart, USADA CEO Read the full op-ed in The Atlantic: https://bit.ly/3QSFMZc

Here is a reconstruction of events in roughly the order that the stories came out in the news cycle so far: 1) At first this all looked like unfair treatment and perhaps discrimination against Chinese swimmers. They were subjected to a lot more testing in Paris than athletes from other nations. As many as seven tests in one day, 200 times within ten days of arriving in France for the whole Chinese team (SCMP). This compares to “six times for each US athlete, five for each Italian athlete, and four for each Australian, British and French athlete” (China Daily). 2) Then it came out that in April this year the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) admitted that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned substances in 2021 but were still allowed to compete in the games in Tokyo. WADA did not do an investigation itself into the 2021 matter but accepted an explanation from the China anti-doping agency (CHINADA). WADA president, Mr. Witold Banka, said what organizations say at times like those…we did nothing wrong, we followed protocol, etc. 3) We then learn that the US Department of Justice has launched a criminal probe into WADA. This seems like a kind of radical escalation. 4) In response to news of the US probe, IOC President Thomas Bach came out swinging and threatened to yank the winter Olympic games from Salt Lake City, Utah unless the US backed off. Now things are really heating up, the stakes are high, and it kind of seems like an over-reaction from all sides. 5) Until, that is, it comes out that there were actually three doping incidents related to Chinese swimmers, not just the one in 2021 (New York Times) and that WADA waived them all. Ugh! At this point, things start to look really bad for truth, justice, and fairness. 6) But then we learn that in June this year there was a US House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing where Mr. Travis Tygart, head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and swimmer Michael Phelps testified about how the China doping scandal (that came to light in April) threatens the very Olympic movement. From this we know that the probe by the US Department of Justice did not just come out of nowhere but was actually the result of an escalating issue and process. However, this kind of revelation can cut multiple ways. It could be seen as a kind of bushwhacking of the Paris games by the Americans who are afraid to lose in the coming games. Or it could be true that IOC and WADA have been either complacent or corrupted and really do need to be exposed. Stay tuned for Part 2, WADA releases a statement… --- China Peace Initiative (CPI) was created to explain and educate, toward understanding, hoping for peace. CPI's mission is to seek the evolution of China into a vibrant and prosperous nation where all have liberty to pursue wisdom and faith, and which chooses the path of peace. www.cpi-heping.org

OMG, the Chinese cheaters will ruin Olympic forever. I don’t get it, why Chinese choose to cheat when EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS HONEST???? China’s cheating threatens to wreck Paris Olympics, US anti-drugs chief says American regulator Travis Tygart accuses the World Anti-Doping Agency of “allowing” Chinese authority to cover up illegal drug-taking by top swimmers. https://lnkd.in/d6MYgwhr But before you go there, look again. This is statistics from anti-doping agency WADA. First, you look at how many times they test athletes of a country, and how many times they find violations. Chinese athletes were tested 19,228 times, far more often than any other countries on this list. They found 0.2% violation. US was only tested 6782 times and found 1.2% violation. So US is 17x more prone to doping, if you figure the differences in sample population and percentage results. But the West: Only China cheats, we are USA we cannot lie, cheat, or steal.

IHF | ITA webinar to deliver crucial information about nutrition The International Testing Agency (ITA) continues its series of webinars dedicated to provide athletes with practical guidance and advice to give confidence and to fulfil all responsibilities regarding anti-doping measures. The latest instalment in the series will take place on Tuesday, 24 September, from 14:00 CEST, and will deliver an interesting theme, “Ask the Expert: Nutrition”. https://lnkd.in/gEa7-xyX The Anti-Doping Database is a Database of sanctioned athletes that now contains more than 13.000 items. The database is being used by sports journalists, sports lawyers, students, national anti-doping agencies and sports federations around the world. We have been dedicated to clean sport and transparency since 2005, and we are one of the most trusted sources of anti-doping statistics. You find the Anti-Doping Database at https://lnkd.in/g33HxFSC #doping #cleansport #antidoping #datajournalism #sportlaw

Nancy Meto busted in yet another doping violation by Kenyan athlete | MozzartSportKe Kenyan marathoner Nancy Jelagat Meto has been provisionally suspended for the presence/ use of prohibited substance Furosemide. The former Berlin half marathon silver medalist joins the ever growing list of Kenyans who have been sanctioned by the AIU for violation of the anti-doping rules, especially with ADAK's revamped testing programs. The AIU has provisionally suspended Nancy Jelagat Meto (Kenya) for the Presence/Use of a Prohibited Substance (Furosemide)Details here: https://t.co/Y8LF9j2o9f— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) August 22, 2024 Furosemide is prescribed as a diuretic or water tablet, usually for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure), heart failure, kidney disease and fluid retention.It works by increasing urine production in the body to reduce blood pressure and fluid retention.##NAJAVA_MECA_8284085##What's more, it can be used to reduce weight amongst athletes in sports where weight is a factor in competing or where having a lower weight may create an advantage. As Furosemide causes increased urine production it can be used to flush the system of other Prohibited Substances prior to a doping control test.To this point, the Operation Refuge investigation found that Furosemide is always detected alone (no other substances are detected).Why Bahrain will not be recruting more Kenyan athletes for the next three years https://lnkd.in/dsKwGeqn The Anti-Doping Database is a Database of sanctioned athletes that now contains more than 13.000 items. The database is being used by sports journalists, sports lawyers, students, national anti-doping agencies and sports federations around the world. We have been dedicated to clean sport and transparency since 2005, and we are one of the most trusted sources of anti-doping statistics. You find the Anti-Doping Database at https://lnkd.in/g33HxFSC #doping #cleansport #antidoping #datajournalism #sportlaw

Final report clears WADA over China swimmers who failed dope tests A final report has concluded that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) did not show "favouritism" towards China in the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who were cleared to compete after testing positive for a banned drug. This matched his interim findings announced in July, ahead of the Paris Olympics, where 11 of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned heart medication competed. https://lnkd.in/d9M3TWzr The Anti-Doping Database is a Database of sanctioned athletes that now contains more than 13.000 items. The database is being used by sports journalists, sports lawyers, students, national anti-doping agencies and sports federations around the world. We have been dedicated to clean sport and transparency since 2005, and we are one of the most trusted sources of anti-doping statistics. You find the Anti-Doping Database at https://lnkd.in/g33HxFSC #doping #cleansport #antidoping #datajournalism #sportlaw

WADA – like the United Nations and other organisations – finds itself in the cross hairs of the great power struggle of our time: a rising China and its challenge to US dominance. When the news broke last weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive to a banned drug in early 2021 and were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympic Games six months later without sanction, many people – particularly in the Western world – immediately suspected a cover-up. The US anti-doping boss, Travis Tygart, has been one of the most vocal critics of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), claiming the Chinese positive tests had been “swept under the carpet” by the body. A few days later, the US Anti-Doping Agency stepped up its attacks, calling on governments and sports leaders to overhaul WADA and appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the 23 positive cases in China. WADA has been put on the defensive. It has threatened legal proceedings against Tygart for his “outrageous, completely false and defamatory remarks”. And it hosted a virtual media conference about the case, with a panel of the agency’s anti-doping heavyweights taking legal, scientific and sports governance questions for almost two hours. According to WADA’s general counsel, Ross Wenzel, the agency received external legal advice that it would have had less than a 1% chance of winning an appeal in the TMZ case. WADA says everything was handled by the book, and if the body was faced with the same situation again, it would do nothing differently. Full story is here, a co-write with my University of Canberra colleague Catherine Ordway, PhD #wada #china #swimming #olympics #Paris2024 #doping #antidoping https://lnkd.in/gXCwVYrZ