IOC, Wada question Rada exemption for US sport
LAUSANNE: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday acknowledged the passing of the Rodchenkov Anti-doping Act ( Rada) in the US Senate but questioned why American professional and college athletes are exempt from the legislation.
The Rada, named ater the whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov who helped expose Russia’s state-sponsored doping, will give US justice officials the ability to pursue criminal penalties against anyone involved in doping at international events involving American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters.
The legislation, passed unopposed in the US Senate on Monday, now only needs the signature of the president to become law.
Professional leagues and college sports in the US were included in the original drat of the bill, according to the World Anti-doping Agency (Wada), but were later removed. They also do not adhere to the World Anti-doping Code.
“The IOC continues to encourage the US professional leagues, in which the most popular American athletes play, and the US college sports organisation (NCAA), from which the vast majority of the most successful US athletes come, to apply the World Anti-doping Code,” the IOC said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, they are exempt from this new Act, and they have so far not accepted the World Anti-doping Code.”
Wada also expressed concerns over the bill, saying it will destabilise the global anti-doping effort by extending US jurisdiction beyond its own borders while giving US professional and college athletes a free pass.
“We join other stakeholders around the globe in asking why this US legislation, which purports to protect athletes and claims jurisdiction overseas, specifically excludes the hugely popular and influential professional and college leagues,” said Wada president Witold Banka. “These leagues were originally included in the Act but were subsequently removed without explanation.
The United States Anti-doping Agency (Usada) said there was no need to include US professional and college sports in the legislation since they could already be prosecuted under existing laws.