WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues
The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to bar President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from participating in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This move could also have consequences for the World Cup, which the USA will host this summer.
The proposal, which is on the agenda of next Tuesday’s meeting of the executive committee of the global counter-drug watchdog, is the latest maneuver after years of refusal by the US government to tackle the war on drugs. pay annual dues To WADA. Denial is part of the American government unanimous, bipartisan protest pertaining to the agency’s handling of a case Including Chinese swimmers And other topics.
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The Associated Press learned of the agenda item from correspondence obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making processes. Two other people familiar with the agenda confirmed the existence of the rule proposal to the AP; They were not authorized to speak publicly about the undisclosed agenda.
WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald said “there is nothing new here” and noted that discussions about what to do about governments stopping funding have continued since 2020 and are not directly related to the United States.
In fact, the proposal was first floated in 2024, when US officials successfully lobbied for its rejection. The United States has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“Despite WADA’s escalating threats, we remain steadfast in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sports,” said Sara Carter, director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
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The rule, if passed, would be mostly symbolic, given the limitations an international sports federation might impose on a country’s president attending an event within its borders.
“I’ve never heard of a Swiss foundation with a $50 million budget being able to impose a rule that would prevent, say, the president of the United States from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at the ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who sat on WADA’s executive committee two years ago and led the move to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce this? Are they going to issue a red notice from Interpol? That’s ridiculous. They clearly haven’t thought this through.”
WADA suggests this could progress quickly, but impact on the upcoming World Cup is unclear
The proposal calls for three-tiered sanctions for countries that do not pay dues. In the case of the US, this means about $3.7 million more than last year, plus $3.6 million unpaid in 2024. The most extreme sanctions include “banning government representatives from participation in major events such as the World Championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
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They include Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and members of Congress who recently approved hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for security and other logistics for the World Cup and LA Games.
The next meeting of the WADA Foundation Board of Directors, which would formally approve any action, was not scheduled until November, Fitzgerald said, suggesting the rule would not be in place before the World Cup. He did not immediately respond to specific questions about how Trump’s status at the World Cup might be affected.
However, in response to a question from European officials about timing, WADA wrote: “The proposal can be implemented without undue delay. If necessary, the Foundation Board may consider the proposal by circular or in the context of an extraordinary meeting.”
According to a draft of the proposal, the rule would apply to governments that have not paid their dues by January 31 of the year following the invoice. The USA has not paid WADA dues since 2023.
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Representatives of the International Olympic Committee, FIFA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to AP emails seeking comment on how the ban on Trump and other U.S. officials might be enforced.
US wants WADA to undergo independent audit
WADA’s budget is set at $57.5 million for 2025. It receives half its funding from the IOC and the other half from governments around the world. Government contributions generally depend on the size of athletic teams, and the United States has always footed one of the largest bills.
The conflict has been growing since the first Trump administration, fueled by America’s distrust of the global anti-doping system, which has come under international scrutiny for its handling of a Russian doping scandal that predates the Sochi Games in Russia in 2014.
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Then in 2024, news broke that 23 Chinese swimmers, some of whom were on the team heading to the Paris Olympics, were allowed to compete despite testing positive. WADA accepted the Chinese doping regulator’s theory: athletes got dirty Traces of a banned heart drug are found in a hotel kitchen.
The ONDCP and Congress under both the Trump and Biden administrations have halted payments to WADA.
In the most recent flare-up, the government restricted payments until WADA subjected it to an independent audit. WADA defended its inspection practices and again called on the United States to pay its dues at the Milan Cortina Games last month.
The agency is now looking for more leverage in collection initiatives.
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“This initiative aims to better protect WADA’s finances so it can fulfill its mission of protecting clean sport,” said WADA spokesman Fitzgerald. “If WADA’s funding is cut, it will be athletes who will ultimately suffer. Indeed, athletes (including those on WADA’s Executive Committee and Foundation Board) have consistently expressed their support for this initiative.”
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Associated Press reporter Darlene Superville contributed from Washington.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
