Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

Once again, Washington politicians have extended their control through long-arm jurisdiction to the sanctity of the Olympics. On July 30, US bipartisan lawmakers proposed the so-called "Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Act," planning to permanently provide the Office of National Drug Control Policy the authority to withhold up to the full amount of membership dues (over $3 million) to the World Anti-Doping Agency. Using membership fees to threaten and insult a highly credible and influential international organization and blatantly standing in opposition to the international community seem to have become a fixed pattern for Washington to declare its privilege.

The so-called "restoring confidence" in this act implies a lack of trust in WADA. This is not the first time Washington has challenged WADA's authority. The US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which came into effect in 2020, allows the US to exercise "extraterritorial criminal jurisdiction" over doping incidents in international sports events, seriously undermining the purity and fairness of international sports competitions and drawing widespread criticism from the sports community and world opinion. Both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and WADA don't support the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, arguing that it gives the US too much power to enforce global anti-doping rules. Furthermore, the law allows the US to charge, fine, and even imprison individuals involved in doping incidents in international events with American athletes but does not cover the four major professional sports leagues in the US and the vast majority of American athletes. 90 percent of American athletes compete outside WADA's supervision. This is a clear double standard.

The immediate trigger for US lawmakers concocting this new bill is last week's announcement by the IOC that if the US does not respect WADA's supreme authority, it might revoke Salt Lake City's hosting rights for the 2034 Winter Olympics. This is a stern warning against Washington's disregard for WADA's authority. The US lawmakers' response was to introduce a "strengthened version" of the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act. This new bill essentially reiterates the US' "overreach jurisdiction" in the global anti-doping field, intending to replace international rules with American rules and use American laws to constrain athletes from other countries, while American athletes are exempt. This mentality of privilege and hegemonic behavior is truly astonishing.

The key point is that the US is not doing this to uphold the fairness of sports, but to suppress its opponents under the guise of sports, bringing geopolitics and Cold War mentality into the Olympics. Recently, the news about "Chinese swimming team being tested on average 21 times before the Olympics" has caused a public outcry. This is a follow-up to the US Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) investigation of Chinese athletes based on the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, despite WADA having already reviewed and approved the conclusions of the China Anti-Doping Agency's (CADA) investigation. In response, WADA President Witold Banka warned the US on July 24 that USADA's baseless accusations against Chinese athletes are "politically motivated" and "bias toward China," and that USADA's attempt to override other global anti-doping organizations and even replace WADA is not allowed. In response to the continued hype by the US media, the CADA issued a statement recently refuting the allegations, while WADA also criticized the politicization of anti-doping affairs by the US. Previously, World Aquatics said on July 25 that it will not reinvestigate alleged China doping without concrete and credible evidence.

Half of WADA's operating budget comes from funding from the IOC, and the other half is shared among the governments of countries participating in the World Anti-Doping Movement through negotiation, allowing WADA to represent the broad interests of countries and entities to the maximum extent and ensure fairness and authority in the field of doping governance. Given its strong economic power, the US has an obligation to contribute more to these costs. Clearly the US is trying to exercise unilateral sports hegemony through three ways: asserting judicial jurisdiction, threatening to cut-off funding and utilizing media propaganda. The issue of anti-doping is increasingly being politicized and instrumentalized by the US, serving as an extension of its hegemony in international politics and diplomacy.

The farce playing out on Capitol Hill also exposes Washington's consistent logic of power, which believes that whoever pays more money has the right to speak. This treats international sports organizations as joint-stock companies, positioning themselves as the sole rule-makers, and often resorting to threats of "withdrawal and quitting." Washington's false narrative and politicized manipulation of doping testing seriously blaspheme the Olympic spirit. The Olympics symbolize global unity and peace. On this stage which showcases human justice and friendship, Washington has ruined its image as a major power.