03/17/26 05:59:00
Printable Page
03/17 17:57 CDT WADA delays decision over potential ban of Trump from major
sporting events until after World Cup
WADA delays decision over potential ban of Trump from major sporting events
until after World Cup
By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
The World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday put off a decision about barring
government officials from major sporting events if their countries voluntarily
withhold dues, pushing a potential conflict with President Donald Trump and
other U.S. officials until at least after this summer's World Cup.
The WADA executive committee met and said it would consider the new rule in
September, two months after the end of the World Cup, which the U.S. is hosting
along with Canada and Mexico.
If such a rule is adopted later this year, it would presumably go into effect
before the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The U.S. hasn't paid its dues since 2023. If that continues, the new rule could
place Trump and U.S. lawmakers on a banned list for Games in their own country,
though there are doubts about whether an anti-doping regulator could keep any
of them from attending the Olympics.
Conflict with WADA has not been a particularly partisan issue in the U.S.,
which withheld the payments in 2024 and 2025 --- once during Trump's presidency
and once during Joe Biden's.
The U.S. has withheld $7.3 million over the two years in protest of WADA's
handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald previously told The Associated Press the
proposed rule would "not (be) applied retroactively so World Cup, LA and SLC
Games would not be covered."
However, the proposal, a copy of which was obtained by AP, did not include
language to that effect and Fitzgerald did not respond to multiple emails
seeking clarification about his use of the word "retroactively."
After the meeting Tuesday, WADA director general Olivier Niggli said "the
withholding of contributions by governments for political or other voluntary
reasons remains a serious topic of concern for all WADA's stakeholders."
"Funding instability has a direct effect on the functioning and development of
the World Anti-Doping Program," Niggli said. "Ultimately, those who are most
directly and most negatively impacted are athletes around the world."
WADA started exploring the issue in 2020, around the time the U.S. began
threatening to withhold money. But it says the issue of penalizing governments
for not paying is not directly related to the United States.
A U.S. representative on the executive committee during the Biden
administration --- drug czar Rahul Gupta --- led the effort to reject the
proposal in 2024.
The U.S. has since lost its spot on the committee. The proposal emerged again
earlier this year, and in correspondence with European decision-makers, a copy
of which was obtained by AP, WADA told them such a measure could be adopted
"without undue delay."
The Europeans also asked WADA why the executive committee was taking up the
issue again before a working group had finished its analysis.
A decision by the executive committee would have to be ratified by the WADA
foundation board. Its next meeting is in November, though in the February
letter to the Europeans, WADA said that board could meet sooner.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
|
