Doping | Michael Phelps strongly criticizes the anti-doping agency: “We need to hold them accountable”

Legendary American swimmer Michael Phelps gave an unsparing account of the activities of the world anti-doping agency WADA to the US Congress.

“We have to hold them accountable,” Phelps insisted before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

According to Phelps, WADA’s rules are not the same for everyone, especially Chinese and Russian athletes, who he said have an easier time passing doping tests.

Phelps asked the US Congress to use its influence to make Wada’s organization more efficient and independent. Phelps’ hearing was related to doping allegations against 23 Chinese swimmers ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

International The Olympic Committee has been demanded by the United States to investigate the actions of Wada and Chinada, the Chinese anti-doping agency, in the testing of 23 Chinese swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, CNN tells.

Chinese swimmers who won medals gave positive doping samples before the Tokyo Olympics, tell The New York Times and the German broadcasting company ARD in their joint report. Wada and Chinada are accused of hiding the positive results.

“As athletes, we can no longer blindly trust Wada, an organization that consistently appears unwilling or unable to enforce its own rules on the world stage,” Phelps said.

President of Wada Witold Banka refused to testify before the US Congress, citing the bias of the occasion.

Phelps won 23 Olympic golds, five silvers and two bronzes in his career.