"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."
"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. 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."
"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."
The World Anti-Doping Agency delayed a decision on implementing a rule that would ban government officials from countries that voluntarily withhold dues from major sporting events. The U.S. has not paid its WADA dues since 2023, withholding $7.3 million over two years in protest of WADA's handling of a Chinese swimmers case and other issues. The decision was pushed to September, after the World Cup hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. If adopted, the rule could potentially affect U.S. officials at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. WADA leadership expressed concern about funding instability's impact on anti-doping programs, though questions remain about enforcement authority and retroactive application.
Read at ESPN.com
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