Transcripts For CSPAN2 Michael Phelps Testifies On Doping In

The u. S. Antidopin antidopinge World Antidoping Agency ando Tn International Olympic Committee. Stick the subcommittee convenes to examine the current state of the system that challenges faces in areas for reform. On the heels of the summer games when less than a year away from winter games, theres no better time to value progress made thus far and performed in russia at the doping system. How fitting where holding this hearing on for every 28, as with the greatest olympic athlete of all times wh was 128 metals befe us today. Won i wasnt referring to you, mr. Griffis. I was referring to Michael Phelps. Every two years nations areeri filled with excitement and pride is a cheer on their summer and winter games. As they longstanding tradition thatir should not be tarnished by those that choose to cheat. Ultimately i hope this hearing helps to highlight ways in which we can strengthen clean competition to restore Public Confidence in International Sports. Within the at the doping committee there are concerns regarding organizational structure and the chri criticism crates and a permit where individuals are both policing of promoting sport. Topics of interest in from the composition of the world promo Antidoping Agency Senior Leadership coexists. As at the doping decisionmakers often simultaneously hold a policymaking position within aon Sports Organization. Such conflicts cannot both real and perceived effects on the rigorous investigations of possible violations as well as of the enforcement of antidoping measures. S several antidoping experts have publicly stated that wada lacks sufficient independence from sport itself. Recent proposals have suggested removing Sports Organizations from structures to improve independence and operations. Today we want to evaluate those concerns and discuss the proposed reforms. For the dates be an established decisionmaking process and by when it comes investigation and sanctions. The summer games and review the book was passed multiple times between the International Olympic committee, vanessa at the doping organizations and International Sports federatione as to where and who was inan charge of making the decisions and whether not athletes would be allowed to participate in the summer games. Or sanctions and bands of athletes and coaches and at the dopingtia laboratories vary from shortterm to lifetime. Et but that does not appear to be a clear set of guidelines to aid the appropriate organizationy instead and opposing consistent penalties. We need to ensure that the system is fair, punishment is appropriate, determine athletes knowingly cheated. The general public depends on the governing bodies of internationals of force cheated. The general public depend oz on the governing bodies of to accepted norm, and this is particularly Important Message for our youth. Additionally, recent events highlight the need to examine potential improvements with respect to utilizing athletes as partners in the antidoping effort as well as whistleblower protections. There will always be athletes or institutions that dope in an attempt to gain an unfair competitive advantage. Athletes and whistleblowers are often the first to see the problems at the ground level and are critical to identify and investigate violations. Therefore it bears questioning whether the Current System does enough to encourage, embrace and protect those fighting for clean sport. While many meetings have occurred since the rio games, challenges remain and progress toward meaningful reform remains unclear. This hearing provides an opportunity to learn from past mistakes, to examine opportunities to move forward in a way that will improve the interNational Antidoping system so that is effective there and nimble for the sake of athletes clean sport and integrity of the International Competition using the Olympic Games. Finally, some ask why congress is doing a hearing on sports rules, and it is because it is a matter of multibillion dollar sports economy, maybe. In part it may be that. But for the most part, i believe, that it is very important we send the right message to the youth and future athletes of the world, that cheating is not acceptable on any level, economy, trade or in sports. We welcome our allstar panel of Witnesses Today. Your appearance before this subcommittee is vital for us to have an honest discussion. With key decisionmakers, were also excited to have mr. Phelps and mr. Nelson with us today to share the athletes perspective. These gentlemen compete at the highest level and invaluable insights into the problems and challenges that face the Current System and unique perspective on improvements that can be made. I would like to thank our witnesses for appearing today and look forward to an informative discussion. Now i yield five minutes to miss degette. Another doping scandal has shaken the world, a scheme to circumvent doping controls relied on by the Global Sports community to ensure clean sport. After unfortunate delays in investigating serious claims made by courageous whistleblowers, the World Antidoping Agency or wada eventually launched investigations into allegations that russia was systematically involved in doping. In july, and december of last year, professor richard mclaren, the person commissioned by wada as the independent expert tasked with looking into these allegations released his findings. What wadas independent investigations reported was a systematic effort by russia to help its athletes both dope and circumvent doping controls. The doping was widespread according to wadas report. Implicating the London Olympic games, sochi Olympic Games, the iaaf World Championships, and many other international events. Frankly, well probably never know the full extent of the cheating and who benefited as many as 1,000 russian athletes across at least 30 sports may have benefitted from this effort according to wadas investigation. Wadas inquiry also found that the very agencies created to police sport from doping including the Russian National Antidoping Agency were itself having helping to cheat. Even Russias Federal Security Service or fsb played a role. Russias behavior raises troubling questions about how the Global Sports community should sanction doping violators and whether they are actually committed to that fact. For example, because wadas investigative findings were made weeks before the start of rio games, confusion surfaced about russia whether russia should collectively be banned from rio. Wada recommended to the ioc that it prohibit the entire russian delegation from participating. But rather than implement that recommendation, the ioc punted that decision to the International Sports federations who were not all equipped to take on that sudden task. In the end, what ensued was a muddled process some viewed as sending a very, very weak message to the cheaters. Even today, im frankly not sure whose job it was to hold russia accountable for the events conveyed in wadas investigation. Just last month, for example, several National Antidoping organizations met in dublin and petitioned that russia be banned from hosting existing and future International Sporting events, until the country comes back into compliance with wadas recommendations. But what if anything will happen to those recommendations . I understand the ioc has created two commissions to explore the findings of wadas independent investigation. Well, i support due process when it comes to athletes possibly implicated in the investigations. I believe there is enough evidence reported in wadas investigations to warrant a strong message from the ioc. If you cheat, you do not play. Of course, wadas findings also raised concerns about wada itself. How did this cheating scheme persist for so long undetected, for example . Is wada organized to catch cheating Going Forward . Does it have sufficient resources to police sport and prevent such a conspiracy from happening again . Following the russian revelations, the number of antidoping organizations met in copenhagen late last year and put forth some recommendations that could enhance wadas ability to keep sports clean. These recommendations include addressing certain conflicts of interest within wada, and clarifying the agencys authority to investigate doping and sanction violators. It is unclear what has happened to these recommendations, but i do believe that they may be a possible blueprint in moving forward. I also believe we have to examine whether wada has the resources to do the job. As i said before, wadas entire budget is a mere 30 million. And the u. S. , which is the largest contributor, provides a mere 2 million. The mclaren investigation alone will cost 2 million. So clearly we need investigation into this. I want to welcome our witnesses, in particular our two athletes who are here, mr. Nelson and mr. Phelps. I think your perspective will really help us. I also think we should thank wada itself, including richard pound and richard mclaren, for their work. And especially want to commend mr. Tygart and usada for the tireless work in this investigation. It is an unfortunate set of events that forced us into this room today, but ultimately i think this panel, this congress, and the International Sports Community Need to realize when dealing with russia, and its approach to ensuring clean International Competitions, the honor system is simply not going to be enough. And i yield back. Now recognize the chairman of the full committee, mr. Walden from oregon for five minutes. I want to welcome all of our witnesses and olympians, thank you for being here to help us better understand what is going on in this situation. For centuries athletes, cultures, nations, have been brought together by the spirit of competition. From the slopes of olympus to the stands of oxen stadium, home of the oregon ducks, people from all walks of life have gathered to pursue and celebrate athletic achievement. We relish with anticipation the possibility of witnessing the impossible. We celebrate the thrill of victory and the agonize in defeat. Whether through your own pursuits or those of others, i suspect everyone in this room knows the emotion, collective experience and beauty of sport. Nothing embodies the spirit and potential of sport more than the Olympic Games. It is the hallmark of International Competition, uniting people from around the world, regardless of social, political or religious differences. In celebration of our greatest athletes, it envelops National Pride at the highest degree. There is a lot of truth to that message, but we also cannot be blind to reality. Athletes and nations compete to win. They do not invest countless hours training to lose. They sacrifice for success and their victories are rewarded. This is why for centuries athletes have sought performance enhancing substances to gain an advantage on the competition. Greek olympians and roman gladiators used herbs and wine and other products to get an edge on their opponents. The early 1900s, mixtures of heroin, cocaine and other substances became prevalent among athletes. Over time, following the introduction of antidoping testing of the olympics in the 1970s, the drugs have become more sophisticated and cheaters more creative. Despite improvements in global antidoping efforts at the turn of the century with the establishment of the World Antidoping Agency, wada, the fight for clean sport remains an uphill battle. The temptation to cheat will always be present to those looking for a short cut. Recent events, however, revealed a far more startling and a difficult challenge. Thanks to the courage, tenacity of whistleblowers, of journalists, and others, we were exposed to a level of deception and cheating that felt more look a movie script than reality of International Sport. It was not a case of individual athletes looking for an edge, this was a tale of nation states sponsored doping. Hundreds of athletes knowingly or unknowingly became part of a Widespread Campaign to enhance performance, alter test results, and evade detection by interNational Antidoping authorities. Despite the shocking allegations, later bolstered by a series of independent commissions and reports, the response from the respective governing bodies of International Sport has become a hodgepodge of indecisive and inconsistent actions. So what went wrong . It is one thing for an individual to beat the system, how could such a massive program go undetected for so long. What has the response been . It has been a quagmire. Clearly these events point to larger challenges in interNational Antidoping efforts. Thats why were here today. To learn from the past, in pursuit of a Better Future for clean sport. Well always be those who seek to gain an advantage, personal financial motivations are undeniable, the opportunities afforded by scientific innovation too tempting. The challenge is daunting and may never be totally solved. That is not an excuse for inaction. We can and must do better, even if that requires some difficult and frankly some uncomfortable reforms. Success in sport is not achieved sitting on the sideline. Waiting for others to act, it requires leadership, teamwork and most of all it requires dedication as our athletes have clearly shown. The millions of Clean Athletes around the world who push the limits of physical and mental exhaustion, who sacrifice so much, dont they deserve a similar commitment from those responsible for protecting the integrity of their sport . I believe they do. Thats why were here today from hear from all of you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time. I now recognize Frank Pallone of new jersey for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to begin by thanking our Witnesses Today for their ongoing commitment to the integrity of competitive sports. I especially want to thank our olympic athletes who have faced circumstances outside of their control when it comes to doping within their individual sport. I would like to single out Travis Tygart and the United States Antidoping Agency who fought for those athletes demanding drug free competition. In july of last year, several of us on the committee sent a letter to the president of the International Olympic committee expressing our strong interest in supporting efforts to ensure the integrity of sports. When we wrote that letter, the World Antidoping Agency had begun releasing some of its findings as to whether russia had engaged. Agencies responsible for policing sport had actually helped athletes dope, even the Russian Federal Security Service or fsb had played a role in this conspiracy according to wadas investigation. Upon the release of those findings, wada recommended to the International Olympic committee that it ban russia and russian athletes from participation in the 2016 rio games. However, the ioc delegated that decision to the International Sports federations organizations that may or may not have had the independence and resources to undertake such a task. And some critics believe the iocs lack of decisiveness affected the role and perceived authority of antidoping agencies. So even today it remains unclear that what sanctions the ioc and other sports related organizations can or will take, in response to wadas independent investigation. Collectively these organizations must take decisive action. They must send an unambiguous message they will punish doping and cheaters will no longer be rewarded for creating an unfair advantage over Clean Athletes. I think were at a crossroads now, mr. Chairman, how best to prevent and police doping in sport. Wadas independent investigation raises serious concerns about the agencies responsible for policing doping including the ability to sanction athletes, institutions, even countries that conspire to violate the world antidoping code. Despite these challenges, there are some hopeful signs of reforming the antidoping regulatory system. In particular, im encouraged by the recommendation made by a group of national Antidoping Agency or nados that strengthen the role as a Global Regulator in the doping fight. The group wants to ensure that wada has the authority to investigate suspected doping violations. They also want to provide wada Additional Res