[ad_1]
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Wednesday awarded Salt Lake City the 2034 Winter Olympics but warned that it could be stripped of the Games if U.S. authorities continue their dispute with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Salt Lake City, Utah, which hosted the 2002 Olympics, was the only candidate to host the winter sports event, so its bid was a sure thing.
However, shortly before member states approved the bid by 83 votes to 6, there was a dramatic turn of events when the IOC president said the Games could be cancelled if US lawmakers and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) did not comply with regulations.
John Coates, chairman of the International Olympic Committee’s legal committee, said the host city contract confirming Salt Lake City’s right to host the Olympics has been amended so that the IOC can revoke the Games if U.S. authorities do not respect the “supreme authority” of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Coates said U.S. authorities “must, and I emphasize ‘must'” respect WADA.
“The IOC has strengthened the existing wording of the Olympic Hosting Contract to protect the integrity of the international anti-doping system and to allow the IOC to terminate an Olympic Hosting Contract if the supreme authority of WADA is not fully respected or if implementation of the WADA Code is being impeded or undermined,” Coates said.
USADA has been a vocal critic of WADA for much of the past decade, and tensions escalated further after reports in April that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for banned drugs ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics but were subsequently allowed to compete.
USADA Chairman Travis Tygart accused WADA of covering up the case, while China blamed it on unintentional food contamination.
WADA angrily rejected USADA’s criticism and threatened legal action against the agency.
Meanwhile, Coates said Wednesday that both the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Utah have agreed to a renegotiated host city contract.
“We are committed to elevating the authority of WADA because it is essential to providing athletes with fair access to sport and the confidence that they are protected,” said Gene Sykes, president of the United States Olympic Committee.
“We think this is critically important and we take their concerns very seriously.”
[ad_2]
Source link
