Danger of explosion in the anti-doping scene – sport

Travis Tygart, his companions say, has always been competitive, fearless in the face of conflict. At the same time, he was never driven by an unwieldy ego, but rather by a sense of justice that his father, a lawyer, instilled in him. This attitude suited Tygart as he pursued a career as an advocate for clean, top-class sport. The 53-year-old once told how, years ago – Tygart was already managing director of the American Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) – Lance Armstrong’s lawyer called him. The seven-time Tour de France winner would sue Tygart, who was in the process of exposing Armstrong (ultimately successful). Tygart said he made the call in the car while driving his daughter to soccer practice. But that’s part of the job.

There are some in the anti-doping scene who attest that Tygart has a tactical approach to escalation – in some cases he is overzealous, in others less so. His successes certainly speak for him. It is also undisputed that Tygart has been back in the form he was in Armstrong’s day. Only this time the target is the global regulator in the fight against pharmaceutical fraud, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). Which in turn is probably only possible because there is obviously a larger debate raging behind the current debate about swimmers from China who tested positive.

The conflict between Wada and Usada can be traced back to at least 2020. At that time, the US government threatened to freeze its contribution to Wada’s annual budget, around $2.7 million. She pointed to shortcomings in the way Wada conducted its business; criticized the fact that the USA, as one of WADA’s most potent and loyal financiers, was not properly represented in governing bodies. Witold Banka, a former Polish athlete and politician who had just become WADA president, countered bluntly: If Americans want to strengthen the fight against doping, they should start in their own commercial leagues, in basketball, ice hockey, football, baseball as well in college sports, whose doping tests are patchy at best. Wada also still sees the Rodschenkov Act as a thorn: The law allows US prosecutors to pursue dopers and backers worldwide. The law, Banka said, jeopardized Wada’s role as a global anti-doping body.

The USA then released its contribution to WADA – $3.6 million has been earmarked for the 2024 budget, the largest contribution of any government. But the power struggle apparently continued to rage. When Wada threatened the Spanish agency Celad with “significant consequences” at the beginning of the year because it had “not treated positive cases in a timely manner”, Celad boss Jose Luis Terreros countered: The Wada president was probably just offended because the Spanish agency had previously together with “around twenty other national agencies” criticized Banka’s administration. According to reports, Usada was among the twenty authorities (Wada left a request for comment unanswered).

:Seems Spanish

Delayed positive tests? Anti-doping policy violations? Backdated exemptions? Spain’s successful sport once again produces a striking portrait of morals.

As the ARD doping editorial team and the New York Times When the case of the Chinese swimmers was recently published, Tygart and the USADA were definitely there. Wada never seriously questioned the explanation of an authoritarian system that attributed 23 positive cases of its swimmers to a contaminated hotel kitchen months after the incident. At least the swimmers should have been temporarily suspended ( a view that the German Nada shares). That smells like a “potential cover-up.” For a scene that usually throws around acronyms like AAF, WADC and third-party appeals, it was like two chess players throwing the board aside and attacking each other with their fists.

Open detailed view

Wada reacted no less sharply: Tygart’s allegations were “outrageous”, “baseless” and “defamatory”. WADA rigorously investigated all events and had to check the finds remotely because of the Covid pandemic. When the Wada sullenly announced on Thursday evening that it would have the matter examined again by an “independent” lawyer, the former Swiss public prosecutor Eric Cottier, the USADA promptly fired back: that the Wada was choosing a supposedly independent lawyer “from its own backyard”. , shows how in need of reform the system is. Cottier was active for over 40 years in Vaud, in the canton of the capital Lausanne, the heart of organized Olympic sport, which traditionally faces little resistance from Swiss authorities (Wada did not respond to a query about this).

China’s unfair influence in Wada? Both sides reject this

At the same time, it is striking how several anti-doping agencies, including the Australian and British, have recently expressed similar concerns – and WADA has in turn been criticized for how much China’s influence in the agency has recently grown. The AP news agency recently reported that Yang Yang, Vice President of Wada since 2019, may have received her position because the Chinese government recently significantly increased its donations to Wada. Yang Yang sharply rejected this, as did Olivier Niggli, the secretary general of WADA. His agency receives money from many governments, China is in the front midfield. All nations should be treated equally, including China, see the case of Sun Yang. Since the Americans’ attacks are unfounded, they are therefore “politically” motivated, said Wada President Banka.

It is still unclear how far the flames that the conflict has ignited will spread. The people of London Times now reported that several swimmers who competed at the 2021 Olympics against the Chinese who had recently tested positive are considering an “unprecedented million-dollar lawsuit against Wada”.. Travis Tygart, who has been threatened with legal action by Wada, recently said that he would rather invest the money in serious investigations instead of Wada. At the same time, he would “welcome” a lawsuit because “then the truth will come to light.” A colleague once told him: “If you don’t receive at least threats of lawsuits, you’re not doing your job properly.”