Questions remain as an ongoing investigation continues into Chinese swimmer doping.
Bipartisan legislators from the House and the Senate proposed legislation that would allow the United States to cut its financial contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), indicating their skepticism toward a WADA investigation into Chinese Olympic swimmers. The United States is the largest financial contributor to the anti-doping agency, providing around $3.4 million of its $50 million total budget annually.
“We will not be silenced for trying to promote fair play. This legislation would allow the U.S. to withhold funding to WADA if they do not ensure fair representation on its governing bodies,” said Senator Marsha Blackburn, a cosponsor of the bill.
In 2021, shortly before the Tokyo Olympics, WADA discovered that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a medication that allows the heart to metabolize more oxygen than usual. The swimmers were cleared by a Chinese investigation, which WADA accepted, allowing the incident to remain private until a U.S. media outlet broke the story this past April.
The international agency stands by its decision and has implied that continued U.S. critique could jeopardize its 2034 Olympic bid for Salt Lake City.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For federal legislators to be prudent in their evaluations of funding and the appropriations that they make for international organizations.
- For members of the House and Senate to seek God’s guidance as they determine how to allot U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Sources: Reuters, WebMD
