The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has publicly questioned the integrity of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), alleging that USADA allowed athletes who had engaged in doping to compete for years. According to WADA, this practice directly violates both the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA's own regulations.
\"This USADA scheme threatened the integrity of sporting competitions, which the Code seeks to protect,\" stated WADA in their statement. They emphasized that they did not endorse the practice of permitting drug cheats to compete, despite USADA's claims that such actions were intended to gather incriminating evidence against other violators.
WADA identified at least three instances where athletes with serious anti-doping rule violations were permitted to continue competing while acting as undercover agents for USADA. These athletes were not reported to WADA, raising concerns about transparency and adherence to anti-doping standards.
In one notable case, an elite-level athlete admitted to using steroids and EPO but was allowed to compete up until their retirement. WADA highlighted that this athlete's case was never made public, their results were not disqualified, prize money was not returned, and no suspension was enforced.
WADA refrained from naming the athletes involved, citing security concerns and the potential for retaliation. The agency criticized USADA's approach, calling it \"ironic and hypocritical\" that while USADA suspected other doping organizations, they simultaneously permitted rule violators to compete in hopes of uncovering further evidence.
The revelations by WADA raise important questions about the methods and integrity of anti-doping agencies and their impact on maintaining fair competition in sports.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
