Pound-ing the US failure

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has accused the White House of showing no interest in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs...

The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency has accused the White House of showing no interest in the fight against performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

WADA president Dick Pound said yesterday that the Bush Administration8217;s lack of support could lead to sanctions against the US team at next summer8217;s Athens Olympics and threaten New York8217;s bid for the 2012 Games.

8220;There8217;s just a complete vacuum and void there as far as we8217;re concerned,8221; Pound said in a conference call on the eve of WADA meetings in Montreal. 8220;Our sense is they8217;re not the slightest bit interested in this issue.8221;

Pound said the United States, Italy and Ukraine were among the major countries yet to pay their annual dues to WADA, which is jointly funded by the Olympic sports movement and national governments.

Payment of the US funds has been held up by the passage of the Federal budget in Congress. Pound said the US government had promised to pay one million dollar this year, but that WADA was informed by a junior White House drug office employee that the figure would be only 800,000.

Pound, a Canadian lawyer, said the White House position was 8220;all the more inexplicable8221; considering the recent doping developments in the United States. He cited positive tests for the designer steroid THG and stimulant modafinil, as well as drug controversies involving USA Track and Field, the US Olympic Committee, major league baseball and the NFL.

8220;At some point or the other I would have thought the litmus paper would change colour at the White House but it hasn8217;t,8221; Pound said.

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Pound said WADA will decide this week on sanctions against governments which haven8217;t paid up, including stripping them of their seats on the WADA board and executive committee.

In addition, he said the IOC could refuse accreditation to government officials for the Athens Olympics and prohibit use of the national flag at opening, closing and medal ceremonies at the Games.