A bipartisan group in Congress bashed the World Anti-Doping Agency for its handing of trying to find who leaked information that led to the agency clearing 23 Chinese swimmers before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
In a letter sent on Thursday to WADA president Witold Banka, the members of Congress criticized the agency for trying to seek out and reprimand whistleblowers.
Senators Marsha Blackburn and Chris Van Hollen and representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the letter in the wake of WADA admitting earlier in the year that it launched “Operation Puncture” to uncover leaks.
“While WADA claims that their motivations are innocent, it appears this investigation’s intent is to intimidate and suppress whistleblowers,” the letter read, which was obtained by The Associated Press. “If these allegations are accurate, WADA is not defending clean sport but is continuing to defend a cover-up.”
The letter is also a follow up on the June passage of a Senate Commerce Committee bill that vowed to press WADA on the Chinese case.
“Since the Chinese doping scandal came to light, WADA has done everything it can to intimidate advocates for fair play and stonewall Congress,” Blackburn said in June. “With the Commerce Committee passing my bipartisan Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act, we have sent a message to WADA that accountability and oversight are coming. We won’t be silenced by WADA or any international organization that tries to strong arm the United States in our mission to promote fair play in sports.”
WADA denies that its inquiry is meant to find and punish whoever revealed information about the swimmers, but instead wanted to know what would motivate the need to leak information.
“Politically motivated allegations of a cover-up were made without evidence and have ultimately been proven to be entirely false,” WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald said while denying having specific information about “Operation Puncture.”
The 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substances but later cleared before the 2021 Tokyo Games and allowed to participate.
The move then became a triggering point between WADA and the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has been vocal of WADA’s handling of alleged doping cases involving American athletes — and disagreements over transparency and sometimes inconsistent enforcement of the World Anti-Doping Code.
In January, the U.S. government refused to pay its annual dues to WADA in direct response to the handling of the Chinese swimmers and owed $3.6 million for the 2024 fiscal year as one of the biggest contributors to a collective fund that other nations support. WADA’s budget in 2025 reached a reported $57 million.
It is unclear if the U.S. has since paid its dues.
“WADA must take concrete actions to restore trust in the world antidoping system and provide athletes the full confidence they deserve,” the White House said at the time. “When U.S. taxpayer dollars are allocated, we must ensure full accountability, and it is our responsibility to ensure those funds are used appropriately.”
Meanwhile, Banka, who has led WADA since 2020, has called out USADA and asked it step up it efforts to be more stringent in doping cases and specifically requested that Enhanced’s planned pro-doping showcase be stopped.
With the World Cup arriving in the U.S. next year and the Los Angeles Olympics arriving in 2028, WADA’s handling of international athletes will likely open the agency up to increased scrutiny. Some WADA officials would even be weary of attending either event in order to avoid questions about the Chinese swimmers case.
