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Richard Pound Wants Legal Action Taken Against USADA For “Outrageous Conduct” Over China Drug Positives
Richard Pound has called for legal action to be taken against the United States Anti-Doping Agency for its “outrageous conduct” in regard to the Chinese doping case in which 23 swimmers tested positive for TMZ.
The founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency was speaking at an Extraordinary Meeting of the WADA Foundation Board, which was held on Zoom and open to media.
Following the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) months before the Tokyo Olympics but none were suspended and their test results never publicly disclosed, USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: “WADA and CHINADA (Chinese Anti-Doping Agency) have left clean athletes in the dark.”
After current president Witold Banka had spoken on Friday, Pound didn’t hold back, accusing USADA of “deliberate lies” over the case which came to public attention last month and asking questions of whether there is a political dimension given the US government’s tense relationship with its Chinese counterpart.
He concluded by saying:
“My suggestion, Mr President, is two-fold: first, to wait for the report of the independent investigator and then to institute legal proceedings claiming significant damages against USADA since there must be serious consequences arising from its outrageous conduct.”
The United States Doping Agency
Richard Pound statement in full:
“On behalf of WADA, I am deeply disappointed and disgusted by the deliberate lies and distortions coming from USADA, including that WADA has swept doping cases in China under the rug.
“That accusation, bereft of any truth, has but a single purpose: to deliberately damage the reputation of WADA and to lessen worldwide trust that has been built up since WDA was created a quarter of a century ago to head up the international fight against doping in sport.
“The claim that WADA has in some way inappropriately favoured China is completely false.
“WADA advised the world anti-doping code and applied its standards in an even-handed way.
“Super-powers are treated the same way – ask Russia.
What evidence has produced to suggest China has benefited in any way?
“Unlike many other cases in other countries, the Chinese NADO reported positive tests in the WADA system, nothing was hidden.
“The Chinese investigation led to a conclusion of contamination, not doping. The evidence pointed firmly in that direction, none pointed to doping.
“To the best of my knowledge and belief, USADA was not present.
“USADA alleges that the whistleblower suggests a different conclusion.
“When WADA asked to be introduced to the whistleblower – assuming he or she actually exists – USADA did not respond.
“Did. Not. Respond.
“Did not respond to the international agency created to lead the fight against doping in sport of which USADA is supposed to be an integral part.
“USADA is financed by the United States government: that government is currently in a chilly relationship with China’s government.
“Could there be a connection?
“But the beat goes on. Now USADA in its omniscience has declared that the Chinese incident is worse than the state-sponsored systemic Russian doping conduct that WADA exposed and prosecuted.
“That’s a headline grab, unencumbered by evidence.
“What is missing in USADA’s conduct is a demonstrated willingness to work for solutions, not biased criticism and the resulting negative impact on clean athletes.
“I hope the public authorities participating today will support the organisation that they helped to create in 1999 and to maintain ever since.
“WADA is the only organisation with such a unique global mandate and able to bring the public and sports authorities together in a common purpose.
“My suggestion, Mr President, is two-fold: first, to wait for the report of the independent investigator and then to institute legal proceedings claiming significant damages against USADA since there must be serious consequences arising from its outrageous conduct.”
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