FairSport Statement on the Introduction of The Rodchenkov Act into the United States Senate

FairSport welcomes the introduction of The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act into the United States Senate. The significance of this Act reaching the Senate should not be underestimated given the potential that it has to permanently change the clean sport movement and ensure the rules and laws that govern doping in sport are more in touch with the desires and rights of the world’s athletes and sports fans. For a movement that has often failed to protect athletes, this new Act represents real, far-reaching change.

As we have seen from the unprecedented rise in athlete voice in 2018, the WADA-led status quo simply is not working; that’s why The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, once it becomes law, has the potential to make significant progress for the global anti-doping system. In the absence of robust, proper and effective anti-doping leadership today, The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act will be groundbreaking, whether that be through imposing criminal penalties on perpetrators of doping fraud, restitution for athletes cheated by doping or protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.

The Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act hands anti-doping’s number one stakeholder – the athlete community – with more meaningful and representative legislation that has the ability to eradicate doping, and that is why the passage of this Act through the United States Congress is something that must be welcomed by all supporters of clean and ethical sport.