(Paris) The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Witold Banka regretted on Thursday having “very difficult” relations with the head of American anti-doping Travis Tygart, who has been very upset since the affair of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive in 2021, but were not sanctioned.
On Wednesday, the head of American anti-doping said it was “shocking” that the IOC had granted the Winter Olympics to Salt Lake City in 2034, on the condition that the Americans respect the authority of WADA.
“It is shocking to see the IOC itself stoop to threats, in an apparent effort to silence those seeking answers,” Travis Tygart said in a USADA statement, calling the world anti-doping watchdog “the poodle of sport.”
PHOTO CRAIG HUDSON, REUTERS ARCHIVES
US Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart
Asked at a press conference in Paris on Thursday about his relations with Travis Tygart, Witold Banka assured that they were “very difficult”, recalling that he had already spoken with him “several times”, especially “at the beginning of (his) presidency”.
But the head of world anti-doping said that because of the “defamatory remarks, the accusations” made by Travis Tygart about WADA, the outbursts “totally opposed to the principles of collaboration”, this created a “tense” situation.
Travis Tygart said on Wednesday that it was “more obvious than ever” that WADA had “violated the rules” in the Chinese swimmers affair, and that it had to “be held accountable.”
An independent prosecutor appointed by WADA concluded in early July that the Montreal organization had “not favored” China in this affair.
The American justice system has opened a criminal investigation into WADA’s handling of this case, based on the controversial “Rodchenkov Act” by which the United States has granted itself extraterritorial jurisdiction over doping since the end of 2020.