Olympic legend Michael Phelps testified Tuesday afternoon in Congress. There he criticized the World Anti-Doping Agency for inconsistently applying the rules, generating frustration in athletes who do not dope and, he said, allowing positive cases, as with China, to continue competing.
The former swimmer, the top medalist in the history of the Games (28), appeared before a congressional Energy and Commerce subcommittee along with Olympic swimming champion Allison Schmitt and described the efforts he had to make to avoid testing positive for doping, while, he believes, athletes from China and Russia can dodge anti-doping rules and continue to compete.
“We have to hold them accountable for what they do. They live on an island,” Phelps, with 23 Olympic golds, explained about the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Phelps hits out at WADA
The medalists criticized the agency for letting 11 Chinese swimmers who tested positive before the Tokyo Olympics compete in Paris. The agency deemed it to be accidental contamination.
“If we keep this up and let this get worse, the Olympics may not be interesting,” Phelps told the congressmen.
Lawmakers from both parties felt that if that is what is happening, the United States should stop funding the anti-doping agency, to which the U.S. is the largest contributor.
Phelps claimed that in one year he had to undergo 150 anti-doping tests, while other delegations were only tested 30 or 40 times.
“We compete hard, follow the protocols and accept our defeats with grace,” Schmitt said.