The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has revealed that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) allowed at least three athletes with serious anti-doping violations to continue competing for years in exchange for information on other offenders.
"It is ironic and hypocritical that USADA cries foul when it suspects other Anti-Doping Organizations are not following the rules to the letter while it did not announce doping cases for years and allowed cheats to carry on competing, on the off chance they might help them catch other possible violators," says a WADA release dated August 7.
USADA's own statistics show that 35 cases were labeled as "no fault or negligence," including a recent case involving American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, with another 84 cases resulting in "public warnings" out of 966 sanctions. Names are removed from sanction lists 30 days after the resolution of "No Fault or Negligence" cases.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently inserted a clause into Salt Lake City's host contract for the 2034 Winter Olympics that allows the IOC the right to withdraw the Games if the "supreme authority" of WADA "is not fully respected." WADA also said that it would take USADA to its Independent Compliance Review Committee this month over the Rodchenkov Act, another move that could threaten American hosting plans for Los Angeles 2028 and Salt Lake City 2034.
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