US, China standoff over Olympic athlete drug testing prompts new House GOP probe

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FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is jumping into the fight between the U.S. and China’s dispute over the global agency charged with regulating athletes’ use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"We, the undersigned members of Congress, are writing to express our grave concern regarding recent developments involving the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and its handling of doping allegations," a letter to WADA President Witold Banka read.

"The transparency and integrity of global sports are at stake, and we believe it is imperative to address these issues promptly and thoroughly."

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U.S. and China tensions have flared up once again around the Olympics. (Getty Images)

The letter by Reps. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., and Morgan Griffith, R-Va., first pointed to allegations that WADA kept secret that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substances before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, news it was forced to disclose after being uncovered by journalists.

"It has now come to light that two additional Chinese swimmers, including one member of China’s 2024 Paris Olympics team, tested positive in 2022 for a banned drug," the lawmakers wrote.

An investigation by China’s anti-doping body blamed contaminated hamburger meat for the drug’s existence in the two swimmers’ bodies, a finding WADA did not dispute.

U.S. officials have accused WADA of a lack of transparency for weeks leading up to the recently ended Paris Olympics. A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee held a hearing in June with star swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt, when they said athletes had lost faith in the international agency.

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Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., led the letter. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

WADA has defended itself by accusing the U.S. of putting it in the middle of the country’s own geopolitical disputes.

A top WADA official told the BBC in late July, "Certain individuals [in the US] are attempting to score political points purely on the basis that the athletes in question are Chinese."

The GOP lawmakers are asking the body to hand over "a detailed account" of its probe into the 23 Chinese swimmers it cleared and explain why it did not disclose the results publicly sooner, as well as a demand to commission a third-party independent investigation into the decision.

"The American public, athletes, and the global sports community deserve answers. We stand by the principle that sports should be free from corruption and that those who violate anti-doping rules must be held accountable, regardless of nationality," the letter said. 

The sporting tensions are part of the growing rift between the U.S. and China, with relations between the two superpowers at their frostiest level in modern history.

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China has responded to the U.S.'s allegations with accusations of double-standards, calling for more drug testing for American athletes.

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However, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) told Fox News Digital that it supports Lesko’s letter.

"Those with nothing to hide would embrace the opportunity to answer questions and provide the information stakeholders need to feel confident that the rules are being evenly enforced," said USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart. "We deeply appreciate every effort to ensure accountability, transparency, and a strong global anti-doping regulator on behalf of clean athletes."

Fox News Digital reached out to WADA for comment.