Less than a year before the Paris 2024 Games, the matter is very bad. L'AFP reports that the sanctions commission of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) would be the subject of a “ pressure attempt » of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The latter would criticize him for not being sufficiently severe in his decisions. And, more serious, would have threatened to withdraw his compliance. The sanctions commission, an entity independent of the AFLD, explains having received a letter from the AMA which “ ordered to modify its behavior in the future under penalty of initiating a non-compliance procedure with regard to the French agency, which could lead to sanctions against France. » The threat is serious, especially just over 300 days before the opening of the Paris 2024 Games. But WADA accompanied it with an argument, in the form of three decisions from the commission which should have, in his eyes, to be more severe. In its letter, WADA warns: “ If this trend of rendering decisions manifestly not in compliance with the Code and CAS case law were to continue, the WADA Legal Affairs Department would have no other choice than to refer this matter for examination by its internal compliance working group, so that any appropriate action can be taken. » For the sanctions commission, made up of eleven members and chaired by a state councilor, the letter is nothing less than an attempt at blackmail. For the AFLD, on the other hand, the World Anti-Doping Agency is only doing its job. Questioned by theAFP, she explained that WADA wanted above all to remind “ the rules that apply to all anti-doping organizations around the world. » Still according to the AFLD, his letter “ does not call into question the independence of the commission in assessing the matters before it. " A lot of noise for nothing ? Without a doubt. But the sanctions commission notes this in a press release: since its creation, it has taken “ several hundred decisions. WADA did not contest any of them. Instead of taking the legal route by filing an appeal before the Council of State, she suddenly attempts to grossly interfere in the functioning of the commission. »
