Milan, Feb. 5 (LaPresse) – “I think we have a good relationship with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. I had a very positive conversation with Gene Sykes regarding preparations for Los Angeles 2028. We are in constant contact with them. There are some discrepancies with other stakeholders in the United States, but I believe we are rather optimistic about future collaborations ahead of the Games.” This was stated by WADA President Witold Banka regarding the relationship with the United States.
On the U.S. government’s proposed law to suspend funding to WADA: “I have no information that President Trump signed the bill (which was passed by the Senate). Every year there are technical requirements and I do not know if anything has changed, but we have our independent internal auditor and an external company that verifies our finances,” he replied. “I do not know any other international organization with review mechanisms this solid. I remain optimistic regarding the involvement of our American friends. I know they will pay the contribution (financial) very soon,” he added.
On the potential impact of a lack of U.S. funding for WADA: “When I started my mission in 2020, the budget was about 36 million dollars, and now we have about 57 million, so this is a significant growth. We are financially stable. I would like us to have these contributions (from the U.S. government), but WADA is financially stable,” he concluded.