The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) says it “fully supports” the US government’s decision to withhold a $3.625 million payment to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that was due on December 31, 2024.

In a damaging blow to the agency, the Biden administration said it had lost confidence in WADA’s ability to guard against the use of performance-enhancing drugs by elite athletes.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is facing a crisis after the US government refused to make a $3.6 million contribution to the global watchdog's annual budget amid an ongoing row

A war of words that has gone on for months became more substantive when the United States did not make its $3.6 million payment before a Dec. 31 deadline.

The situation comes amid a dispute over the Wada’s handling of a doping scandal involving Chinese swimmers competing in Tokyo in 2021

The U.S. government did not pay the more than $3.6 million US due to the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2024, making good on a long-running threat anchored in unhappiness with the global watchdog's handling of cases involving Chinese swimmers and others.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is facing a crisis after the US government defaulted on a $3.6m (€3.5m) contribution to the global sport watchdog’s annual budget.

White House officials fear that the 2034 Winter Olympics, which were awarded to Salt Lake City in July, could be taken away as a punishment of the United States.