By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was reported to be considering a rule change that could result in some government officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, being barred from attending major international sporting events, though the organization has denied it.
According to a report from The Associated Press, the global anti-doping authority has been discussing a rule change that would allow it to bar government officials from countries that haven’t paid their membership dues, which includes the United States.
“According to a draft of the proposal, the rule would apply to governments that have not paid dues by Jan. 31 of the year after they’re billed,” The Associated Press report says. “The U.S. hasn’t paid its WADA dues since 2023. There was no mention of ‘retroactivity’ or lack thereof in the document the executives are considering.”
“The proposal calls for a three-tiered set of sanctions for countries that don’t pay dues. In the U.S. case, that amounts to around $3.7 million from last year, plus $3.6 million it didn’t pay in 2024. Among the most extreme sanctions include ‘government representatives being excluded from participation in major events such as World Championships and Olympic & Paralympic Games.'”
After withholding its annual WADA payment in 2024, doing so in protest of WADA’s handling of the doping case involving Chinese swimmers that came to light in early 2024, the United States lost its seat on the WADA Foundation Board or Executive Committee.
The proposal was first brought up in 2024, but U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection, according to The Associated Press.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Although WADA has denied that the rule would apply to the LA Olympics or 2026 World Cup, The Associated Press said it would mostly be symbolic anyway, “given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.”
WADA issued a statement responding to The Associated Press report on Friday, noting that “given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games would not be covered.”
“In fact, discussions related to the issue of governments unilaterally withholding funding from WADA have been ongoing since early 2020 and have nothing specifically to do with the U.S. A working group involving representatives of governments, the Sport Movement and WADA was set up in 2022, a period when the U.S. was still paying its annual contribution.”
WADA said there has been a proposal arise from that working group “that’s aimed at better protecting WADA’s funding so that it can deliver on its global collaborative movement for doping-free sport.”
The proposal is reportedly on the agenda for WADA’s Executive Committee Meeting on Tuesday, though the ultimate decision will be made by the Foundation Board, which won’t have its next meeting until November.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: WADA Denies Considering Rule Change That Could Bar Trump From LA 28, World Cup
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