IOC President Thomas Bach reaffirmed the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) supreme authority in anti-doping.
PARIS, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach stressed on Friday that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) holds the ultimate authority in anti-doping.
Speaking at a press conference during the Paris Olympics, Bach addressed the controversy involving the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). He reaffirmed the IOC's full confidence in WADA and called on all parties involved to ensure fair treatment for all athletes.
"This is all about the respect for the supreme authority of WADA, and we have been calling on everybody to respect this supreme authority as the IOC does," Bach said.
WADA issued a statment on Wednesday which exposed that USADA allowed athletes who violated anti-doping rules to continue competing without sanctions. In exchange for their cooperation in providing information on other doping violations, these athletes were reportedly shielded from public exposure and penalties.
WADA has condemned this practice as a blatant violation of the World Anti-Doping Code, which threatens the integrity of global sporting competition.
Bach reiterated that the IOC has delegated its entire anti-doping responsibilities to the International Testing Agency (ITA) and WADA, underlining that the IOC will not interfere in individual doping cases.
He maintained that WADA, as the supreme authority, is responsible for ensuring compliance with anti-doping rules and safeguarding the fairness of competition.
"We have full confidence in the work of WADA and have asked all the stakeholders involved in this public dispute to sit together and have a dialogue to come to a solution, which ensures a fair competition and the fair treatment of all athletes of the world," the IOC chief said. ■
