The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has filed a defamation lawsuit against the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in a Swiss court, according to Sportschau, referencing reports from the German television channel ARD.
The lawsuit arises from criticisms made by USADA regarding WADA's stance on the discovery of trimetazidine in doping samples from 23 Chinese athletes ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games.
In April, it was revealed that this substance had been detected, and an investigation conducted by the Chinese anti-doping agency (CHINADA) determined that the presence of the substance in the athletes' bodies was unintentional and minimal.
WADA, finding no grounds to dispute CHINADA's findings, opted not to impose sanctions on the athletes. In September, WADA released a comprehensive report from independent investigator Eric Cottier, confirming the professionalism of the agency's handling of the situation.
Despite this, USADA's chief, Travis Tygart, accused WADA and CHINADA of withholding information, which led to the defamation lawsuit.
Earlier, Tygart mentioned in a conversation with the organization's press service that athletes do not trust WADA.
