Why the United States is in severe danger of losing the 2028 Olympics

The United States was already awarded the 2028 Olympic Games, but might be at risk of having that privilege revoked due to a raging controversy involving performance-enhancing drugs.

The issue that could have the United States in hot water stems from a matter involving Chinese swimmers participating at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. While this would seemingly have nothing to do with American interests, the United States has thrown themselves headfirst into the incident.

23 Chinese swimmers ended up testing positive for trimetazidine before the 2020 Olympics before the competition began. However, they were all cleared to participate according to the BBC, because China’s Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) ruled that the substance was caused by contamination, and the athletes unintentionally consumed it.

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As it turned out, the Chinese swim team brought home six medals from the Tokyo Olympics, three of which were gold.

However, the New York Times and German media outlet ARD discovered the timeline and chain of events in 2024, which has set off a firestorm, especially in the United States.

Travis Tygart is a chief executive with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and he had a strong response to this news. He criticized CHINADA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of having “swept these positives under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world,” according to the BBC.

Tygart took it one step further by saying, “All of those with dirty hands in burying positive tests and suppressing the voices of courageous whistleblowers must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the rules and law.”

To state that WADA was not happy with Tygart’s passionate outburst against them and CHINADA is an understatement. WADA replied in a statement that it was “astonished by the outrageous, completely false and defamatory remarks (made by Tygart)”, and that his “very serious accusations against WADA were being reviewed by Wada’s lawyers.”

United States swimming legend Michael Phelps let his opinion be known, as The Guardian’s website has him quoted as saying “As athletes, our faith can no longer be blindly placed in the World Anti-Doping Agency, an organization that continues to prove that it is either incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies consistently around the world.”

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As one might expect, WADA has decided not to sit idly by and have their organization’s credibility questioned. They have opted to take historic action, by bringing USADA to the Independent Compliance Review Committee.

According to Reuters, if the Independent Compliance Review Committee deems the United States is not compliant, the country could lose its right to host the 2028 Olympic Games.

Richard Pound is a Canadian attorney who was a senior member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He is a founder of WADA, and he told Reuters that the United States has traveled down a slippery legal slope.

The Rodchenkov Act was passed in 2020, and it allows United States law enforcement jurisdiction to any international sports event that involves American athletes, or has financial connections to the United States. However, Pound does not think this act gives the United States grounds to challenge WADA or CHINADA.

Pound told Reuters, “That legislation is non-compliant with the anti-doping code.” Reportedly, this is the stance WADA has taken, believing that the Rodchenkov Act doesn’t give the United States power to reinvestigate an issue that was closed by the agency years ago.

According to Yahoo Sports, the IOC has taken measures to align their support with WADA. The IOC confirmed that they included conditions in the 2030 and 2034 Winter Olympics contracts that give them the right to terminate the agreement if WADA is undermined.

Travis Tygart, as one might expect, found the IOC’s recent actions deplorable. According to Yahoo Sports, he accused the IOC of “stooping to threats.” This is a matter that will continue to unfold dramatically in the near future, as the United States has already signed their contract with the IOC to host the 2028 Olympics.

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