US Risks Losing Olympics Amid Doping Investigation, Says Pound

• The US risks losing the opportunity to host future Olympics Games due to the DOJ’s investigation into doping allegations involving Chinese swimmers under the Rodchenkov Act, which Dick Pound criticizes as non-compliant with international anti-doping regulations.
• WADA and the IOC are concerned about the extraterritorial application of the Rodchenkov Act, with implications that could lead to the US being declared non-compliant, thereby barring it from hosting or participating in international sporting events.
• The controversy may affect Salt Lake City’s bid to host the 2034 Winter Olympics, with the IOC potentially delaying confirmation due to the compliance issues raised by the investigation.

US Risks Losing Olympics Amid Doping Investigation, Says Pound

The United States is at risk of losing the opportunity to host the Olympics if its law enforcement’s investigation into Chinese swimmers goes too far, according to Dick Pound, former senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Pound expressed concerns over the US Department of Justice’s use of the Rodchenkov Act to investigate the doping case involving 23 Chinese swimmers.

This Act, named after the whistleblower who exposed Russia’s state-sponsored doping program, grants the US broad extraterritorial jurisdiction over international sporting events involving American athletes or those with financial ties to the US.

“The Rodchenkov Act is non-compliant with the world anti-doping code,” Pound told Reuters.

He warned that any country deemed non-compliant with this code could be barred from hosting or participating in international sporting events.

The controversy arises as Brent Nowicki, the executive director of World Aquatics, has been summoned to testify in the US Department of Justice’s investigation into WADA’s handling of the doping case.

This move has raised alarms within the international sports community, with the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) expressing concerns about the safety of its officials and voicing support for WADA.

A review by Swiss independent prosecutor Eric Cottier and an audit by World Aquatics both concluded that WADA was not biased and found no irregularities or mismanagement in handling the case.

Despite these findings, the potential repercussions for the US are severe.

“I guess that one of the steps that Wada is going to take at this point is to turn this particular issue over to the compliance review committee,” Pound stated.

“If  or when there’s a hearing on it, they will declare the US non-compliant. It would mean they could not host the Olympics.”

This scenario could impact Salt Lake City’s bid to host the 2034 Winter Olympics. “The International Olympic Committee might consider delaying the confirmation of Salt Lake City as host of the 2034 Winter Olympics,” Pound added.

The situation underscores the complex interplay between national laws and international regulations in the world of sports.

The outcome of this investigation and the response from WADA and the IOC could have far-reaching implications for the future of international sporting events in the United States.