The US Anti-Doping Agency has accepted its government’s decision to withhold a $3.6 million (HK$28 million) payment to the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The news comes after it emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine before last year’s Tokyo Olympics were cleared to compete based on a finding by their national anti-doping agency that they had unknowingly ingested the drug through contaminated food.
In a statement issued Wednesday, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: “Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced that it has suspended the 2024 payment of $3.6 million from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“USADA fully supports this decision by the White House ONDCP as the only correct choice to protect the rights of athletes, accountability and fair competition.

“Unfortunately, the current WADA leadership left the United States after failing to meet several very reasonable demands, such as an independent audit of WADA’s operations to ensure that WADA is fit to protect athletes.

“Following the revelations of WADA’s failure to handle the positive tests of 23 Chinese swimmers, which gave China and its athletes special treatment under the rules, many stakeholders around the world, including athletes, governments and national anti-doping agencies, have called for answers, transparency and accountability from WADA’s leadership.

“WADA has failed to uniformly enforce global rules that protect the integrity of competition and the fair play rights of athletes, and significant reform of WADA is required to ensure this never happens again.”

WADA said in a statement: “The World Anti-Doping Agency confirms that the United States government has not received its agreed contribution to WADA’s 2024 budget as of December 31, 2024.

“Under Article 6.6 of the WADA Statutes, representatives of public authorities of countries that have not paid their dues are ineligible to sit on the Foundation Board or Executive Committee.

“Therefore, on January 1 of each year, any Foundation Board or Executive Committee member representing a country that has not paid its annual contribution for the previous year will automatically lose their seat.

“The outstanding amount owed to WADA by the United States Government is $3.625 million. For context, WADA’s total budget for 2025 has been approved at $57.5 million.”