'Rodchenkov Law' Puts US Olympics at Risk

The Rodchenkov Act and the Chinese swimmers case put the 2028 and 2034 Olympic Games scheduled for the United States at risk.

This was stated by Richard Pound, a former member of the International Olympic Committee and former head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). 

"This law is not in line with the anti-doping code," Pound said. "I think one of the steps that WADA will take at this stage will be to refer this issue specifically to the Compliance Committee."

Pound believes that if US law enforcement is overzealous in investigating the positive tests of 23 Chinese swimmers, the country could be banned from the Olympics.

More than a month ago, a US Congressional committee called on the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the incident of 23 Chinese swimmers taking doping in 2021, after it raised many ethical and competitive concerns.

The investigation is based on the "Rodchenkov Law", named after Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory, who made public statements about Russia's doping system in 2014, during the Sochi Winter Olympics, before traveling to the United States.

Last April, an investigation was published saying that 23 Chinese swimmers participating in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

The post notes that anti-doping officials repeatedly provided the agency with intelligence indicating that Chinese swimmers were covering up doping, but the organization ignored it.

The World Anti-Doping Agency deemed that there was no evidence of doping, so the swimmers were allowed to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

USADA CEO Travis Tygart accused WADA and the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency of concealing information. The United States later questioned the independence of the prosecutor appointed to investigate the case.

The law on Rodchenkov, the former head of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory and a whistleblower at the World Anti-Doping Agency, was signed into law in 2020.

The bill provides for criminal prosecution in cases of conspiracy to dope in competitions involving American participation.

Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics after Paris, in 2028, while Salt Lake City, Utah, has been named a preferred candidate by the International Olympic Committee for the 2034 Winter Games.