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Thursday 6 February 2020

Congress

urged to SILENCE IS

pass anti- `GOA-LING’

doping

bill before

Olympics

By BEN NUCKOLS
AP Sports Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
head of the U.S. Anti-
Doping Agency urged
Congress on Wednesday
to pass a bill criminalizing
international doping con-
spiracies before this sum-
mer's Tokyo Olympics, say-
ing it would be a strong
deterrent in the absence
of adequate punishment
for past Russian doping.
USADA CEO Travis Tygart
testified before the Senate
Commerce Committee.
The House has unanimous-
ly approved the Rod-
chenkov Anti-Doping Act,
named for the Moscow
lab director who blew the
whistle on Russia's state-
sponsored doping at the
2014 Sochi Olympics, and
the bill — which also in-
cludes protections for whis-
tleblowers — has bipartisan
support in the Senate.
"We all now have a once-
in-a-lifetime opportunity
to fix the global anti-dop-
ing system," Tygart said.
"We host the LA Olympic
Games in 2028, and we
want it real, not rigged."
The World Anti-Doping
Agency, which receives
more funding from the
United States than from
any other country, is lobby-
ing for extensive changes
to the bill. In a letter to the Kovalchuk scores in SO,
Senate this week, WADA
said the bill would "have Canadiens rally past Devils 5-4
the unintended conse-
quences of shattering
the anti-doping system" if
passed without changes. Montreal Canadiens left wing Ilya Kovalchuk puts his finger to his lips, silencing the boos of New Jersey Devils fans, after scoring in
the shootout of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, in Newark, N.J. The Canadiens won 5-4.
Continued on page 23 Associated Press
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