Despite threats from World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) founding president Dick Pound last week, Salt Lake City, Utah has been named as the host for the 2034 Winter Olympic Games. However, there is an important caveat hidden in the fine print.
Salt Lake City’s contract includes a clause that allows the International Olympic Committee to revoke hosting privileges if the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the American government does not “fully respect the supreme authority of WADA and that the application of the World Anti-Doping Code is not hindered or not undermined.” The move did not go over well with USADA chief Travis Tygart, who called out the IOC for “stooping to threats in an apparent effort to silence those seeking answers to what are now known as facts.”
Pound alleged that the US has been non-compliant with WADA in its investigation of the Chinese swimming doping scandal. The US has been examining the controversy under the Rodchenkov Act.
The US launched a federal investigation into the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance at the beginning of 2021 and still competed at the 2020(1) Tokyo Olympics about six months later. The US has already hosted congressional hearings over WADA.
World Aquatics confirmed that the U.S. had launched a federal investigation into the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 and still competed at the Tokyo Olympics later that year. In May, USADA traded jabs with WADA, alleging a cover-up by claiming that the global anti-doping authority swept the 23 positive tests “under the carpet.”
“That legislation is non-compliant with the anti-doping code,” Pound said of the Rodchenkov Act. “My guess is that one of the steps that WADA is going to take at this point is to turn this particular issue over to the compliance review committee.
This is the 2nd time in the 21st century that Salt Lake City will be home to the Winter Olympics. They were also the hosts of the 2002 Winter Games that ran from February 8th through February 24th.
This also marks a pattern for the US as the US hosted the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, just six years before hosting the Games in Salt Lake City. This time around, Los Angeles will serve as the home to the 2028 Summer Olympics, just six years before the Games arrive in Salt Lake City.
Well, his name says it all, he’s a Dick!
Dick Pound has been a laughingstock ever since the China story broke. None of his threats carried a speck of weight or probability.
But I enjoy the photo of him that accompanied every article. He’s the prototype pompous ass.
the IOC actually amended the SLC-Utah host contract to include potential penalties or withdrawal of hosting rights if the USADA or Congress meddles with WADA.
Whether they would actually do it is low probability, but I suspect China had some influence there.
So while I’m zero fan of Pound (whose wife kicked a Salt Lake volunteer in 2002 because she didn’t want to wait to cross the street), he still has some ears.
Edit: oops, just noticed someone mentioned this below, too!
So excited. I worked for SLOC in 2002, and the people of Utah and SLC will put on a fantastic Games again.
Also excited to see the Winter Games in the classic venues of the Dolomites/northern Italy and the French Alps in 2026 and 2030.
Despite the issues that continue to warrant discussion and improvement with the IOC and Olympics in general, they are one of the remaining ways in an increasingly fractious world to bring people together positively.
Hopefully people can take a mental break from politics over the next few weeks to enjoy Paris 2024 as well, and fingers crossed there are no security or doping incidents to detract from them.
It was given to SLC only after they made the SLC organizers and USOPC sign a contract requiring them to “fully respect the supreme authority” of WADA.
USADA has plenty of faults, but WADA’s view that no one should be allowed to criticize them is nonsense. Also “The Supreme Authority” sounds like something out of the Hunger Games
Threats from Dick Pound must sound like a frat guy hitting on someone at a bar, promising something that won’t be realistic
Richard Kilogram
SLC is a great choice – they have all the infrastructure already of course, and the 2002 Olympics were a big success. No brainer.
Dick Pound can f off.
Just stop