US warned about about doping probes
with clause in Salt Lake 2034 deal
The International Olympic Committee has tried to force US authorities into protecting the integrity of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by inserting an additional clause into the contract with Salt Lake City to host the 2034 Winter Olympics. Salt Lake, which also hosted the 2002 Winter Games which were mired in allegations of bribery, was awarded the 2034 Games by the IOC Session in Paris on Wednesday. But the contractual clause inserted appears to reflect the IOC’s unhappiness with US authorities for threatening legal action against WADA for not banning 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021.
WADA has said it agreed with Chinese officials who ruled that the positive tests were due to mass food contamination and there should be no bans. The tests only came to light this year and 11 of the swimmers are set to compete in Paris 2024, which begins on Friday. Despite fierce criticism led by the US, an independent investigator from Switzerland found no misconduct on the part of WADA. According to the clause, the Olympic organizers of Salt Lake City must actively lobby the US government to alleviate the IOC’s concerns about investigations by US authorities into doping issues. WADA president Witold Banka previously spoke of “slanderous accusations” by the US Anti-Doping Agency and expressed concern about the investigation into the Chinese case initiated by the US Department of Justice, despite no offence having been committed on US soil.
The Olympic host contract can be cancelled if WADA’s powers are undermined, officials at the IOC Session said. Salt Lake City, bidding with the state of Utah, received six votes against and six abstentions in the awarding of the 2034 Winter Games, with 83 IOC members voting in favour of the bid.
There was no opposing bid. (DPA)
