(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – Olympian swimmers Allison Schmitt and Michael Phelps appeared on Capitol Hill to plead with Congress to take action against doping ahead of the Olympics.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart along with the Olympians appeared before Congress to question how and why the government could sanction the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for having allegedly failed to enforce its anti-doping rules.
In April it was confirmed by WADA that the Chinese swim team, 23 members, had tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug trimetazidine (TMZ). However, they had accepted the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency’s explanation that the exposure had been caused by contamination. Out of those athletes, 11 have now been confirmed to the Paris team.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations legislators listened to Phelps who noted that during his time competing at the highest levels he had seen how much suspicion and uncertainty exists regarding doping which has affected the confidence he and his fellow athletes have.
Schmitt and Phelps both stated that they were scared that if doping was allowed to go on without punishment it would be crushing to the next generation of aspiring athletes. Phelps even pointed out that he believes that if this situation is allowed to continue the Olympic games would no longer even exist.
Across the aisle, lawmakers agreed that they needed to call for more accountability from WADA. The subcommittee chair Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) argued that an erosion of their belief in fair play will diminish their confidence in the sport.
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