Phelps wants to tell Congress that Olympic anti-doping efforts are falling short

WASHINGTON >> American swimmer Michael Phelps is expected to tell a congressional panel on Tuesday that anti-doping measures “have fallen short” in a case involving Chinese swimmers ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.

Phelps, fellow gold medalist Allison Schmitt and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart will testify before lawmakers in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the actions led by the World Anti-Doping Agency .

“It is clear to me that all attempts at reform at WADA have fallen short, and that there remain deep-seated systemic problems that have proven time and again to be detrimental to the integrity of international sport and athletes’ right to fair competition.” , Phelps said in the newspaper. testimony released ahead of the hearing at 7:00 PM ET (23:00 GMT).

Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals to his name. Schmitt won 10 medals over four events. Neither will compete in Paris.

WADA confirmed reports in April that nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned drug found in heart medications, before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Schmitt, in her prepared testimony, called on lawmakers to hold WADA and the global anti-doping system accountable.

“If we win, let it be because we deserve it. And if we lose, let it be because the competition was fair,” Schmitt said.

A WADA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CHINADA, China’s anti-doping agency, has said the swimmers were accidentally exposed due to contamination and should not be held liable for the positive results. China named its 31-member swimming team this month.

WADA said in April it would send a compliance team to review China’s anti-doping program, but leading swimmers including seven-time gold medalist Katie Ledecky, who competes in Paris, have continued to raise concerns.

Last month, a separate House of Representatives committee called on the Justice Department and the International Olympic Committee to investigate the doping case involving the Chinese swimmers.

Phelps also said in prepared testimony that he has close friends who have been affected by the case.

“Many of them will live with the ‘what if’ questions for the rest of their lives,” Phelps says. “As athletes, we can no longer blindly rely on the World Anti-Doping Agency, an organization that continually proves itself unable or unwilling to consistently enforce its policies around the world.”