But Michael Phelps quickly regained his swimming reflexes, pushed harder on his arms, put his legs up and tucked his head in to put on a layer. “ As athletes, we can no longer blindly trust the World Anti-Doping Agency, which continues to prove itself incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies consistently around the world. “, he told the commission. Ouch.
Witold Banka, the president of the AMA, was also invited to speak before the committee of the American Congress. The Pole did not make the trip. He surely did well. But the former 400m specialist, with a sporting career much less prestigious than that of Michael Phelps, did not sit idly by, absorbing the blows without trying to return them.
Witold Banka responded in writing to the American attacks. His "statement ", published in two languages on the AMA website, is worth reading. It delivers blow for blow. And even a little better.
«The audience (before Congress) aimed to further politicize a relatively simple case of mass contamination that was turned into a scandal by a small number of individuals, mainly in the United States, attacks Witold Banka (…). The hearing in Washington was filled with the kind of emotional and political rhetoric that makes headlines but does nothing constructive to strengthen the global anti-doping system. The conference, led by Travis Tygart of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, focused on other countries and WADA not playing by the rules. Given what we know about the anti-doping system in the United States, one can't help but think of the words of American politician Adlai E. Stevenson: "A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then climb up the strain and would make a speech for conservation.» Ouch.
The rest remains in the same tone. The president of the AMA draws his figures to illustrate “hypocrisy" American on doping. “To date, 90% of athletes in the United States do not benefit from the protections offered by the World Anti-Doping Code because major professional leagues and collegiate associations refuse to be included in the system overseen by USADA, he points. Even the remaining 10% of athletes in the United States do not receive the type of support they deserve, a reality illustrated by the fact that 31% of American athletes under the Code have not been adequately tested during the period of 12 months preceding the Tokyo Games. »
Witold Banka continues: “ In 2023, USADA collected 7.773 samples from 3.011 athletes, according to its own annual report. This is quite a disappointing result, considering the country's population, the high number of athletes and the size of their Olympic team. With twice the budget, USADA collects less than half the number of samples of its German counterpart. The French ONAD also collects many more samples than USADA with just over a third of the budget. USADA also collected less than national anti-doping organizations in China, Russia, Italy and Britain, as well as three international sports federations. »
Finally, the Polish leader returns to the case of American sprinter Erriyon Knighton, who also tested positive, but ultimately not sanctioned, USADA having accepted its line of defense, food contamination. Erriyon Knighton, world silver medalist last year in the 200m, was cleared. He is currently participating in the American selections for the Paris 2024 Games.
« I can't help but wonder what USADA would say if this had involved an athlete from China.", asks Witold Banka in his written statement. The Pole knows the answer. He is not the only one.
