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The Independent
5 days ago
- General
- The Independent
World drug-fighting leaders get unprecedented 3rd term in move critics call ultimate bait and switch
The president and vice president of the World Anti-Doping Agency were reelected to unprecedented third terms Thursday in a move the agency's critics say undercuts its promise to make meaningful governance reforms after years of doping scandals. The third terms for president Witold Banka of Poland and vice president Yang Yang of China will run through the end of 2028 and extend their time in office to nine years. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, in a social media post, called it the 'ultimate 'bait and switch', first promising governance reforms following the Russian anti-doping scandal and then quietly changing the rules the second the world looked away.' WADA spokesman James Fitzgerald outlined the rules changes made in 2023, which did away with the tradition of having a president represent either sports organizations or governments, each of which represent 50% of WADA's main policy-making board. When Banka was first elected, he was a government candidate, but is now considered an independent candidate. 'This change ... was done in order to accommodate the introduction of an initial cooling-off period and the formal election process for those positions,' Fitzgerald said. 'It was also done to harmonize the nine-year term limit with other members of the WADA Foundation Board and Executive Committee.' Banka said he was 'deeply honored' to be tabbed for a third term. 'Despite the many challenges we have faced over the past five-and-a-half years, it has also been a period of transformation, of resilience, and of undeniable progress," he said. Though the Russian doping scandal began before Banka took office, WADA was under his control during the more recent case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who were not banned after WADA declined to step in on a contamination case handled by that country's anti-doping agency. The U.S. government is withholding its annual payment of more than $3.6 million to WADA. When that decision was announced, the U.S. drug czar at the time, Rahul Gupta, said "WADA must take concrete actions to restore trust in the world antidoping system and provide athletes the full confidence they deserve.' USADA portrayed Banka's re-election process as the latest in a long-running series of moves that have undercut WADA's credibility. The German media outlet ARD reported that Dutch Olympic triathlete Chiel Warners had wanted to get in the race, but the obstacles to getting on the ballot — which included getting two nomination forms signed by different members of the WADA Foundation Board — were too great. 'The fact that you need letters of support to run for an independent office does not seem particularly democratic,' Warners told ARD. 'Especially since it is not at all clear how you are supposed to obtain this support. In practice, this means that candidates can be excluded from the outset — and that is exactly what has happened here." ___
France 24
22-05-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Anti-doping bodies condemn 'dangerous' drug-fueled Enhanced Games
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and bodies across the world have taken aim at the event after organizers revealed the date, venue and format for the competition. The Enhanced Games will be staged in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in three sports -- athletics, swimming and weightlifting. Athletes will be allowed to use drugs which are banned across international sport such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving $250,000, and a bonus of $1 million for anyone who breaks a world record. Aron D'Souza, the Australian entrepreneur who is the founder of the event, says the Enhanced Games are an exercise in testing the boundaries of human performance. "The Enhanced Games is renovating the Olympic model for the 21st century," D'Souza said on Wednesday as details of the games were revealed. "We are here to move humanity forward," D'Souza said. "The old rules didn't just hold back athletes, they held back humanity. "We are not just organising competition, we are in the business of unlocking human potential. We are the vanguard of super-humanity." The Enhanced Games will take place from May 21-24 at the Resorts World hotel in Las Vegas. Swimming will hold 100m and 50m freestyle events, along with 100m and 50m butterfly. Athletics events include the 100m and 100m and 110m hurdles. Weightlifters will compete in the snatch and clean & jerk disciplines. WADA, the global anti-doping watchdog, on Thursday condemned plans for the event as "dangerous", voicing concern it could lead athletes around the world to dabble in illicit substances with potentially deadly consequences. 'Dangerous, irresponsible' "WADA condemns the Enhanced Games as a dangerous and irresponsible concept," the agency said in a statement. "The health and well-being of athletes is WADA's number-one priority. "Clearly this event would jeopardize that as it seeks to promote the use of powerful substances and methods by athletes for the purposes of entertainment and marketing. "There have been many examples of athletes suffering serious long-term side-effects from their use of prohibited substances and methods. Some have died." Travis Tygart, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), said the event was a "dangerous clown show that puts profit over principle." Australia's anti-doping body, Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), also condemned the risks posed to athletes participating in the Enhanced Games. "We work to ensure that sport is safe and fair to all," SIA chief executive Sarah Benson said in a statement. "The Enhanced Games is promoting the complete opposite and poses a significant risk to athlete health and safety." USADA's chief science officer, Matt Fedoruk, highlighted that many substances had been banned in conventional sporting events because they were proven to be dangerous. "These things aren't just banned because they're effective at making athletes stronger or faster," Fedoruk said in a post on USADA's website. "Many are banned because they've been proven to be dangerous for athletes, with some harmful side effects being potentially irreversible." Enhanced Games founder D'Souza however has pushed back on those criticisms, insisting that the competition would be conducted "safely". "We live in a world transformed by science - from vaccines to AI," said D'Souza. "But sport has stood still. Until today. We are not updating the rulebook - we are rewriting it. And we're doing it safely, ethically, and boldly." The Enhanced Games have received financial backing from investors who include billionaire PayPal founder Peter Thiel as well as investment firm 1789 Capital, in which Donald Trump Jr. is a partner.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Elite athletes told to AVOID one-night stands due to the risk of drug contamination
Anti-doping experts have told elite athletes to avoid one-night stands to limit their chances of being contaminated with banned drugs. Performance-enhancing drugs were on the agenda at a conference in London on Thursday, with experts calling for rules to be changed so that there is a clearer distinction between intentional cheating and contamination. Two high-profile cases in recent years have seen athletes cleared of intentional doping after claiming drugs got into their system via their sexual partners. Back in 2009, tennis star Richard Gasquet was cleared after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that his positive test for cocaine was 'probably' caused by kissing a woman in a nightclub. Five years ago, US boxer Virginia Fuchs was then cleared of any wrongdoing after it came to light her partner was using therapeutic doses of GW1516, a banned substance that boosts endurance. An investigation found the metabolites in her sample 'were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission'. Travis Tygart, the chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), has now warned athletes that they should be careful about who they enter into sexual relationships with. US boxer Virginia Fuchs (pictured) was also cleared in 2020 after the metabolites found in her sample 'were consistent with recent exposure to the substances via sexual transmission' 'It's so pathetic that we're having this conversation,' Tygart admitted. 'But I think based on the cases we've seen, watch who you kiss. Watch out who you have an intimate relationship with. 'To tell that to elite athletes, I think it's a pretty ridiculous world we're expecting our athletes to live in, which is why we're pushing to try to change these rules to make it more reasonable and fair. The onus is always on the athletes. We as anti-doping organisations need to take some of that responsibility back. 'And I worry how many of the intentional cheats are actually getting away because we're spending so much time and resources on the cases that end up being someone kissing someone at a bar. 'Really, it's incredible to think that you have to tell athletes to be careful who they may have intimate relationships with. And it's why we have to change the system, so that's not the world that elite level athletes are expected to live under.' Tygart revealed that changes to anti-doping rules are set to be made with regards to certain substances. He namechecked Clostebol, the anabolic steroid that Jannik Sinner tested positive for last year. The No 1 ranked male tennis player denied any wrongdoing, but later accepted a three-month ban which he has nearly completed. Tygart also mentioned Ostarine, a substance that was found in boxing star Ryan Garcia's system following his fight with Devin Haney last year. Garcia also denied intentional use of the substance, but accepted a one-year ban. Tygart said: 'There's a handful of substances that you could say at certain levels, and we're talking very, very low levels, you put in an MRL [minimum reporting level]. 'Wada is already doing it for clenbuterol, meat enhancers, and diuretics. Add a few more substances to that, Clostebol would be one of those, because we know it can transfer between people through intimacy. Ostarine is another.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Taila Santos Suspended Six Months After Failed Drug Test
Failed drug tests are a harsh reminder of the stakes involved in combat sports. Whether in boxing, MMA, or kickboxing, the consequences are severe—and the road back is never easy. Today, we learned that one athlete will spend the next few months watching from the sidelines after a violation of the sport's anti-doping policies. For fighters climbing the ranks or defending legacies, discipline isn't just a virtue—it's a requirement. When that discipline slips, the results are immediate and unforgiving. According to MMA journalist Damon Martin, former UFC title contender Taila Santos has been suspended for six months by USADA following a failed drug test. Per Martin's report, Santos tested positive for oxandrolone, noroxandrolone, and clenbuterol. The timing explains her sudden withdrawal from the 2025 PFL tournament, where she was slated to compete in the women's flyweight division. She'll be eligible to return to competition on or after September 21. Taila SantosGetty Images Before her suspension, Santos competed in the 2024 PFL Women's Flyweight Championship Final, where she faced rising star Dakota Ditcheva. That bout ended in a second-round TKO loss for Santos, crowning Ditcheva the division's champion and $1 million prize winner. Santos was then booked for a 2025 quarterfinal matchup against Juliana Velasquez but was pulled from the tournament following her positive drug test. She was replaced by Ekaterina Shakalova in the updated bracket. Advertisement Prior to joining the PFL, Santos made headlines for pushing then-champion Valentina Shevchenko to the brink at UFC 275, losing a razor-thin split decision. That bout remains one of the most competitive in Shevchenko's reign. UFC fighter's hands on cageRon Chenoy-Imagn Images Santos also picked up dominant wins in the UFC against names like Joanne Wood and Molly McCann. Her exit from the UFC followed the expiration of her contract, and while she had remaining bouts, she chose not to re-sign. The reasons for that decision were never made fully public. Now sidelined, Santos must regroup and refocus before returning later this year. Related: 'Polishing a Turd' – Eddie Hearn Sends Bold Message to Dana White and the UFC Related: UFC Veteran Retires After Chaotic End Marked by Controversial No Contests
Express Tribune
23-02-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
WADA drops legal action against Tygart
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said that it has dropped legal action against the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and its chief Travis Tygart over a dispute about Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned substance in 2021. "In the interest of moving on and focusing our efforts on strengthening the global anti-doping system... WADA has made the decision to withdraw the lawsuit against Mr. Tygart and USADA," a WADA spokesperson told AFP. "Over several months, Travis Tygart made incessant defamatory allegations against WADA without any supporting evidence in relation to its review of the no-fault contamination cases involving 23 swimmers from China." Tygart had accused WADA of a cover-up when it cleared the Chinese swimmers to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 despite testing positive for a banned medication, trimetazidine. He has long been a critic of WADA attacking them in the aftermath of the Russian state-sponsored doping scheme surrounding the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. In January, Tygart supported a US government decision to withhold a WADA dues payment of $3.6 million. The WADA spokesperson said that the body had responded with a lawsuit in Switzerland, citing "an attack on WADA's reputation, based on groundless conspiracy theories." In the case of the Chinese swimmers, WADA says it was not at fault in accepting the "food contamination" explanation put forward by the Chinese authorities. It said it considers the matter closed since a report it commissioned from Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier found that WADA had worked "autonomously, independently and professionally". The WADA spokesperson said that the findings had cleared the body's reputation, making legal action unneccessary. "Given the clear findings of the Cottier report, which have been universally accepted by the anti-doping community and wider public, that aim has been achieved." AFP
