Squabble grows as US government holds back 2024 funding from world anti-doping watchdog WADA

The U.S. government did not pay the more than $3.6 million due to the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2024, making good on a long-running threat anchored in unhappiness with the global watchdog's handling of cases involving Chinese swimmers and others.

Those funds, normally distributed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, represent about 6% of WADA's annual budget.

WADA statutes say representatives of countries that don't pay are not eligible to sit on the agency's top decision-making panels. U.S. drug czar Rahul Gupta is listed as a member of the WADA executive committee.

Gupta told The Associated Press the ONDCP was ''evaluating all our options," and did not rule out eventually sending the money to WADA.

''WADA must take concrete actions to restore trust in the world antidoping system and provide athletes the full confidence they deserve,'' he said. "When U.S. taxpayer dollars are allocated, we must ensure full accountability and it is our responsibility to ensure those funds are used appropriately.''

In 2022, when Gupta held out, then eventually directed his office to send the balance of its yearly contribution, he did so with reservations, along with a letter saying the U.S. absence at the time from key policymaking positions was ''a sorry state of affairs.''

Half of WADA's budget is covered by the International Olympic Committee, with the other half covered by governments across the world, which receive 50% of the spots on key WADA governing committees.

The funding fight has been going on for at least the last six years, with the talking points not much different between the Trump and Biden administrations.

Dissatisfied over the handling of the Russian doping scandal, the first Trump White House started asking for reforms with the potential of tying them to its annual payment. More recently, WADA's handling of cases involving 23 Chinese swimmers has been a focal point of criticism.

A government study that came out in 2020 concluded Americans didn't get their money's worth from the contribution. Shortly after, Congress gave the ONDCP discretion to withhold future funding.

In between, tensions have grown between WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which runs the drug-fighting program in the United States.

''Unfortunately, the current WADA leaders left the U.S. with no other option after failing to deliver on several very reasonable requests, such as an independent audit of WADA's operations'' in the wake of the Chinese doping saga, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said.

Just as some of that rhetoric died down comes the news that the U.S. is still deciding whether to pay its 2024 obligation.

And all of it comes against the backdrop of the United States preparing to play a large role in hosting international events. The World Cup arrives in the country next year, followed by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

''Now is the time to get WADA right to ensure these competitions on U.S. soil are clean, safe, and a pageantry of fair competition in which we can all have faith and confidence,'' Tygart said.

He said WADA rules dictate that the money fight will not have any impact on U.S. athletes' ability to compete at home or abroad.

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