The USA’s anti-doping agency has been accused of double standards by the World Anti-Doping Agency after a renewed spotlight was cast on a member of its sprinting team at the Paris Olympics previously failing a drugs test.
Erriyon Knighton, a world silver medallist who will race in tonight’s men’s 200 metres final, tested positive for the performance enhancer trenbolone during an out-of-competition test in March. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), claimed the substance in his sample came from contaminated meat and cleared him to compete at the Paris Games.
But in a fresh verbal attack on Wednesday night, Wada also said it found at least three cases where athletes who had committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue to compete for years.
News of Knighton’s failed test, which was first reported in June, and allegations of a doping cover-up sparked a furious reaction from Chinada, China’s anti-doping agency, who launched a scathing attack on its American counterpart, accusing it of double standards and “covering up the truth”. It also called on the International Testing Agency (ITA) to ramp up testing among American track and field athletes.
Relations between the US and China had already soured at the Games following the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers had been cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 despite having previously failed a test. The diplomatic row between the two countries escalated on Wednesday after Reuters reported Usada had allowed doped athletes to continue competing despite failing tests.
Wada said it was “aware of at least three cases where athletes who committed serious anti-doping rule violations were allowed to continue competing for years.”
Among those three cases, a high-profile athlete, who notably participated in an Olympic qualifier for the United States, was allowed to compete until his retirement despite taking steroids and EPO.
“It is ironic and hypocritical that Usada cries foul when it suspects other anti-doping organisations of not following the letter of the rules, when it has not announced cases of doping for years and allowed cheats to continue to compete,” Wada said in a statement.