IOC President Thomas Bach visited Utah last week to tour the state’s Olympic facilities. During his visit, he sought to ease concerns that Salt Lake City could lose the 2034 Games if organizers don’t support efforts to resolve conflict between anti-doping authorities.
Those concerns were prompted in July when the IOC awarded Salt Lake City the 2034 Games. Just before Utah was awarded the Olympics, the host contract was amended to include a termination clause requiring the U.S. to comply with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s authority.
Bach called the amendment to the host contract an “act of honesty” Saturday.
“It was just reflecting the rules. It was just saying, this is why it was in a great agreement that the rules are like this, that the IOC could be forced, by a ruling of WADA, to take measures or sanctions, and we are very confident that this does not need to happen,” he said. “We are not directly involved in this, nor is the [Utah] organizing committee.”
The contract change relates to a doping scandal involving Chinese Olympic swimmers who tested positive for a powerful banned substance before the 2021 Tokyo Games. WADA accepted China’s explanation that the athletes were accidentally exposed to the drug and several of the athletes went on to win medals.
The United States has been extremely critical of WADA for its lack of action.
There are ongoing talks to resolve the issue between WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. Bach said the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee is facilitating the discussions.
"We are very confident that a good solution will be found,” Bach said.
Bach said this confidence is why the IOC chose to allocate the 2034 Games to Salt Lake City.
