05/14/24 03:41:00
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05/14 15:39 CDT 'Deeply concerned' with China doping allegations, US drug czar
sends letter to anti-doping agency
'Deeply concerned' with China doping allegations, US drug czar sends letter to
anti-doping agency
By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
The U.S. drug czar sent a pointed letter to world anti-doping officials, saying
leaders in governments across the globe "remain deeply concerned" about the
response to allegations of Chinese doping before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Rahul Gupta, who holds a position on the World Anti-Doping Agency's executive
committee, sent a series of recommendations to the president of WADA in a May 8
letter that was obtained by The Associated Press. It included calling for an
emergency meeting of the executive committee before the end of this week.
WADA has set up an "extraordinary session" of its foundation board on Friday.
That board is a larger body than the executive committee, and it has final
authority over the agency's policies; it does not include a U.S. member.
The letter from Gupta, the head of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control
Policy, came in the wake of allegations that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared
of intentionally taking performance enhancers, saying a banned heart medication
ended up in their systems due to contamination.
Responding to criticism about the decision, WADA appointed a Swiss lawyer to
undertake an independent investigation into the case. That, too, has been
criticized.
Gupta's letter spelled out some of the perceived deficiencies about the
appointment, including the complaint that members of the executive committee
who represent governments were not fully briefed and did not participate in a
formal vote that launched the investigation.
Gupta asked for increased transparency and clarity on various aspects of the
case.
That included a call for more information about "what WADA knew, at what time,
and why WADA decided not to take additional actions, such as to investigate the
contamination claims, or otherwise generate lessons-learned from this case that
could inform and strengthen the anti-doping system."
Gupta's office plays a key role in releasing U.S. funds to WADA. The United
States is scheduled to contribute a world-leading $3.6 million to WADA's 2024
$50 million budget, which is double the amount of the next-biggest contributor.
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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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