U.S. Withholds $3.6 Million Payment To WADA, Loses Board Seat In Ongoing Saga

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By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

The United States has withheld its annual payment to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and subsequently lost a Board seat in an ongoing saga stemming from the Chinese doping case that came to light last year.

The U.S., specifically the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), withheld the $3.6 million payment after WADA failed to conduct an independent audit of operations, United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart said in a statement Wednesday.

“USADA fully supports this decision by the White House ONDCP as the only right choice to protect athletes' rights, accountability, and fair competition,” Tygart said.

The nonpayment is the latest chapter in an ongoing battle between WADA and USADA in the aftermath of the doping scandal involving 23 Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned substance in early 2021. Tygart and USADA have been vocal about their distrust of WADA and its handling of the case, which only came to light in April 2024, more than three years after the tests were conducted.

• April 2024: Chinese Positive Tests First Reported
• May 2024: USADA Puts WADA On Blast For Handling of Case
• Full 2024 Recap: Chinese Doping Scandal

“Unfortunately, the current WADA leaders left the U.S. with no other option after failing to deliver on several very reasonable requests, such as an independent audit of WADA's operations, to achieve the transparency and accountability needed to ensure WADA is fit for purpose to protect athletes,” Tygart continued.

“Since the exposure of WADA's failed handling of the 23 Chinese swimmers' positive tests that gave China and its athletes special treatment under the rules, many stakeholders from around the world, including athletes, governments, and National Anti-Doping Agencies, have sought answers, transparency, and accountability from WADA leadership.”

“Because WADA failed to uniformly enforce the global rules in place to protect the integrity of competition and athletes' rights to fairness, significant reform at WADA must occur to ensure this never happens again.”

In a statement, WADA confirmed that the organization had not received the payment by the Dec. 31 deadline, meaning the U.S. cannot have a representative on the WADA Foundation Board or Executive Committee.

WADA said the U.S. owes $3.625 million, with its 2025 operating budget sitting at $57.5 million.

“Under Article 6.6 of the WADA Statutes, Public Authority representatives from a country which has not paid its dues are ineligible to sit on the Foundation Board or the Executive Committee,” WADA said. “Therefore, on 1 January of each year, any Foundation Board or Executive Committee member representing a country that has not paid its annual contribution for the previous year automatically loses their seat.”

The U.S. has been the top contributor to WADA since its inception in 2000, Tygart said, adding that the authority to withhold payments to WADA was “initially put in place under the first Trump Administration in conjunction with Congress when WADA's ineffectiveness was exposed in the Russia state-sponsored doping scheme.”

“As a result of WADA's failure during this sad saga that ultimately saw Russia rob hundreds of athletes from the U.S. and other countries at the highest levels of competition, Congress passed the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which President Trump signed into law in 2020. Also, the Trump Administration and Congress granted ONDCP the authority to withhold payment from WADA in the event that it did not act in a fair, effective, and transparent manner.”

During Donald Trump‘s first term, his Administration threatened to withhold funding to WADA due to its lack of transparency and the U.S. seeking a greater voice as the country that contributes the most money annually to the agency.

Tygart said the nonpayment will have no impact on U.S. athletes and their right to compete in international events.

“We need a strong and independent WADA and we will continue to work with all stakeholders in the US and internationally to ensure the global system delivers on the promise of clean sport to the world's athletes,” he said.

Tygart also pointed to the U.S. hosting some major international events over the next few years, notably the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, making it a key time to plant a stake in the ground.

“Now is the time to get WADA right to ensure these competitions on U.S. soil are clean, safe, and a pageantry of fair competition in which we can all have faith and confidence.”

Read the full story on SwimSwam: U.S. Withholds $3.6 Million Payment To WADA, Loses Board Seat In Ongoing Saga