Pound believes the Rodchenkov Act will lead to more doped athletes competing against the U.S.GETTY IMAGES
IOC member Dick Pound continues to "defend the efforts of WADA in building a united fight against doping, one that he fears is in peril because of pending legislation in the U.S.," according to Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver PROVINCE. The U.S. House of Representatives last year "passed the Rodchenkov Act, a bill that would allow American authorities to pursue legal action against the associates of drug cheats -- but only international cheats," as Americans "are exempt." The U.S. Senate "still has to ratify the bill, which would empower American anti-doping authorities to pursue their own international investigations, sidestepping the collective interest that WADA believes works best." Johnston writes maintaining "common international standards for testing and enforcement, WADA's stated purpose, is the key." Pound said, "To try and destroy WADA does not provide any additional protections to American athletes. In fact, it increases the risk. If you don't have a harmonized international approach to international doping, you're going to have more and more doped athletes competing against America." Pound also said that the legislation is "based on 'intentionally inaccurate and misleading' information put together by American doping officials," who are "aiming to eliminate WADA as an enforcement agency" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 8/19).
