Latest news with #cleanSport
CBC
08-07-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Penny Oleksiak's withdrawal from world championships has us wondering - what even is 'whereabouts'?
Sports Duration 1:56 CBC Sports' Brittany MacLean Campbell helps shine a light on the World Anti-Doping Agency process athletes follow to protect clean sport.
ABC News
05-07-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Canadian Olympic champion Penny Oleksiak pulls out of world titles amid anti-doping probe
Penny Oleksiak — Canada's most decorated female Olympian — has withdrawn from the upcoming swimming World Aquatics Championships because of a probe into an alleged breach of the anti-doping code under the whereabouts rule. Elite athletes are obliged to keep anti-doping authorities informed of their whereabouts at all times so random testing can take place. Oleksiak — who dead-heated for gold in the 100m freestyle at the 2016 Olympics in Rio — announced her withdrawal from the world titles on social media, stressing the issue did not involve any banned substances. "I wanted to confirm I am involved in a whereabouts case with World Aquatics that's still in the preliminary stages," Oleksiak wrote in a statement. "I want to emphasise that this whereabouts case does not involve any banned substance; it's about whether I updated my information correctly. "Out of respect for Swimming Canada, my fellow racers and clean sport, I have decided not to compete at the world championships. "I am and always have been a clean athlete and will be making no further comment at this time." Swimming Canada (SC) also released a statement supporting Oleksiak's move, saying they believed she was a clean athlete who had made an "administrative mistake". "We understand that Penny has been notified that she did not keep her whereabouts information fully up to date," SC chief executive Suzanne Paulins said. "She has explained to us that it was inadvertent and that in no way is she involved in the use of banned substances. "This is a team-first decision, as while she has not been sanctioned at this time, participating at world championships could potentially affect team results if an anti-doping rule violation is determined." As well as sharing gold with American Simone Manuel in Rio as a 16-year-old in 2016, Oleksiak has won six other Olympic medals and nine at three World Aquatics Championships. The world titles take place in Singapore from July 27 to August 3. Reuters
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Senators Assail Antidoping Regulator for ‘Stonewalling and Intimidation'
Senators from both parties on Tuesday sharply criticized the global antidoping regulator responsible for ensuring clean competition at the Olympics, saying it had continued to cover up positive tests for banned substances by two dozen elite Chinese swimmers, including medal winners at the last two Summer Games. At a hearing before a subcommittee of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Democratic and Republican lawmakers also signaled their support for the decisions by the Biden and Trump administrations to withhold key funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency, or WADA, over its handling of the positive tests. The senators said they supported new legislation that would give the president even more authority to withhold American funding for the regulator. 'All that they have provided are threats, stonewalling and intimidation,' said Senator Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Tennessee and the subcommittee's chair, adding that lawmakers would 'not be threatened or silenced for promoting fair play and advocating for clean sport.' Tuesday's hearing was the second one the Senate has held on how the positive tests were handled, after The New York Times disclosed their existence in April 2024. The Times reported that in early 2021, nearly two dozen elite Chinese swimmers tested positive for low levels of a banned prescription heart medication that makes it easier for athletes to recover. At the time, Chinese authorities blamed a contaminated hotel kitchen where the athletes ate, even though they were never able to explain how or why the prescription heart medication made its way into the kitchen. The World Anti-Doping Agency, which is supposed to serve as a backstop when countries fail to properly discipline their athletes, did not sanction the swimmers. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Japan Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
WADA calls on U.S. to stop Enhanced Games from taking place
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka has called on U.S. authorities to prevent the drug-fueled Enhanced Games from taking place next year. Speaking in Lausanne in an address to a meeting of Summer Olympic officials, Banka said the inaugural edition of the Enhanced Games — where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs — in Las Vegas "must be stopped." "We all must stand up and condemn those who put greed and ego before the well-being of athletes and the values of fair competition," Banka said. "As the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles approach, we cannot allow what should be a celebration of honest sporting endeavor to be overshadowed by this cynical attempt to undermine clean sport. "WADA is now urging the authorities in the U.S. to seek ways to prevent the Enhanced Games from going ahead as planned. For the sake of athletes' health and the purity of sport, it must be stopped." In separate remarks following the address, Banka urged U.S. authorities to consider legal action to prevent the Enhanced Games from taking place. "Every effort should be made by the authorities in the U.S. to prevent this dangerous event from going ahead as planned," Banka said. "This should be explored from the legal perspective. For example, I would question whether it is legal for licensed doctors to give these potent drugs to healthy athletes. "It goes completely against the rules and values of their profession ... I think there is a strong role to be played by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)". USADA has been a strident critic of WADA in recent years following controversy over the global doping watchdog's handling of positive drug tests from 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021. Responding to Banka's remarks on Wednesday, USADA chief executive Travis Tygart accused the WADA president of "attempting to leverage this sideshow to distract from fixing WADA and to stoke anti-American rhetoric." "As we have repeatedly said, for all of the obvious reasons, the Enhanced Games or any other open competition is a bad idea," Tygart said in an email, urging Banka to accept an invitation to a U.S. Senate hearing next week where the 2021 case involving Chinese swimmers is to be discussed. The first 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 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 any athlete who breaks a world record.
Free Malaysia Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Wada calls on US to stop ‘dangerous' Enhanced Games
The first Enhanced Games will be held in Las Vegas in May 2026, with athletes participating in athletics, swimming and weightlifting. (Enhanced pic) LOS ANGELES : World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) chief Witold Banka has called on US authorities to prevent the drug-fuelled Enhanced Games from taking place next year. Speaking in Lausanne in an address to a meeting of summer Olympic officials, Banka said the inaugural edition of the Enhanced Games in Las Vegas – where athletes will be free to use performance-enhancing drugs – 'must be stopped.' 'We all must stand up and condemn those who put greed and ego before the well-being of athletes and the values of fair competition,' Banka said. 'As the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles approach, we cannot allow what should be a celebration of honest sporting endeavour to be overshadowed by this cynical attempt to undermine clean sport. 'Wada is now urging the authorities in the US to seek ways to prevent the Enhanced Games from going ahead as planned. For the sake of athletes' health and the purity of sport, it must be stopped.' In separate remarks following the address, Banka urged US authorities to consider legal action to prevent the Enhanced Games from taking place. 'Every effort should be made by the authorities in the US to prevent this dangerous event from going ahead as planned,' Banka said. 'This should be explored from the legal perspective. For example, I would question whether it is legal for licensed doctors to give these potent drugs to healthy athletes. 'It goes completely against the rules and values of their profession…I think there is a strong role to be played by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada)'. Usada has been a strident critic of Wada in recent years following controversy over the global doping watchdog's handling of positive drug tests from 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021. Responding to Banka's remarks on Wednesday, Usada chief executive Travis Tygart accused the Wada president of 'attempting to leverage this sideshow to distract from fixing Wada and to stoke anti-American rhetoric.' 'As we have repeatedly said, for all of the obvious reasons, the Enhanced Games or any other open competition is a bad idea,' Tygart said in comments emailed to AFP, urging Banka to accept an invitation to a US Senate hearing next week where the 2021 case involving Chinese swimmers is to be discussed. The first 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 banned across international sport such as steroids and human growth hormones, with winners of each event receiving US$250,000, and a bonus of US$1 million for any athlete who breaks a world record.
