US Senate votes to pass Rodchenkov law

BBC News reports that the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, is set to be signed into law. It will allow US officials to prosecute anyone involved in doping at international sporting events.

Head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) Travis Tygart said it was “monumental” in the “fight for clean sport” but the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has concerns that will lead to “overlapping laws in different jurisdictions that will compromise having a single set of anti-doping rules for all sports and all anti-doping organisations under the Wada code.”

The Act targets coaches, agents, managers and officials rather than athletes, who are already covered by Wada sanctions, and allows the US to seek prosecution for doping conspirators at competitions involving American athletes, sponsors or broadcasters. Penalties include fines of up to USD 1m (GBP 756,000) or prison sentences of up to 10 years. Wada president Witold Banka questioned why the law excludes US professional and college athletes, when they were included in the original draft.

[Original story at: www.bbc.com/sport/54973241]