The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has issued a stern response to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) following revelations by Reuters on Wednesday, exposing a scheme that allowed U.S. athletes who had doped to compete without sanctions for years. This practice, as WADA noted, has undermined the integrity of sporting competition.

WADA is aware so far of at least three cases where athletes, despite committing serious anti-doping violations, were permitted to continue competing for years while acting as undercover agents for USADA. Crucially, USADA failed to notify WADA of these practices as required and there were no provisions under the Code or USADA's rules that allowed such actions. 

In one case, an elite athlete admitted to using steroids and EPO but was allowed to compete all the way up to retirement without any public disclosure or disqualification of competition results.

"Had WADA been notified, it would never have allowed this," the statement read.

In a recent case, Erriyon Knighton, an American Olympic track and field team member, tested positive for the banned steroid trenbolone during an out-of-competition test on March 26. USADA claimed that the positive result was due to contaminated meat, clearing Knighton to compete in the Paris Olympics qualifiers. However, trenbolone is not a common contaminant but a strong anabolic agent known for its strength and performance-enhancing effects.

In contrast, when dealing with contamination cases involving Chinese swimmers, USADA accused the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and WADA of covering up the truth, demanding sanctions against Chinese athletes despite WADA's repeated clarifications.

According to a press release by World Aquatics on July 23, Chinese swimmers were the most tested athletes ahead of the Paris Olympics. "Since Jan. 1, the 31 swimmers from China competing in Paris have each been tested at least 10 times by World Aquatics, with an average of 13 tests per swimmer," the press release read.

The statement also reported that including tests conducted by other anti-doping organizations, Chinese swimmers have been tested on average 21 times since Jan. 1. Meanwhile, Australian swimmers have been tested an average of four times in the same period, and U.S. swimmers an average of six times.

Pau Gasol, a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes Commission, commented on the frequent testing faced by Chinese swimmers, calling it "unfortunate," and urging respect for WADA's authority and testing protocols. He noted the challenges that athletes face due to frequent tests, which disrupt rest, training and other schedules.

"As an athlete, I appreciate the cooperation of the Chinese swimmers in this case," Gasol noted.

At the Paris Olympics, China's Pan Zhanle set a new world record when winning the men's 100-meter freestyle competition, sparking some accusations of cover-ups regarding the contamination cases involving Chinese swimmers. In response, two-time Olympic swimming champion Zhang Yufei hit back at a press conference following her bronze medal in the women's 200-meter butterfly on Aug. 1. She defended Pan's achievements, noting that he has swum under 47 seconds on multiple occasions, a feat which is not accomplished overnight. Pan, like every other Chinese athlete, has taken dozens of doping tests, she added.

Zhang also highlighted the double standards Chinese athletes face compared to their Western counterparts, questioning why the Western media does not scrutinize athletes like Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky when they dominate their events. "It's ridiculous," she remarked.

CHINADA criticized the U.S. for its long history of doping issues, accusing it of turning a blind eye to domestic problems while engaging in "cross-border jurisdiction," which is sheer political manipulation and hypocritical double standards. CHINADA called on USADA to align with global anti-doping standards and maintain integrity in its practices to regain international trust.

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