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On Monday, November 3, Athletics Illustrated published an article titled, “WADA president Bańka urges USADA to make an effort to stop dismal Enhanced Games.”
Bańka, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president, asked the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to make an effort to stop the proposed “Enhanced Games” from happening.
The Games are to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in May 2026.
Thursday, Tygart responded via Director of Communications Averi Walker to Athletics Illustrated. He expressed that he wished to have had a chance to have input earlier, with the following.
Tygart’s response
“For an organization reportedly part of a criminal investigation by U.S. law enforcement, the continued and blatantly false attacks from WADA President Banka are a telling smoke screen. His attempts to smear America and our U.S. Olympic and professional athletes is a desperate attempt to divert attention away from his failure in allowing China to sweep 23 positive tests under the carpet. This abject failure potentially robbed the world’s clean athletes of 96 medals, including 18 (14 gold) U.S. swimming medals, from the 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games. Those who value clean and fair sport should stand up and demand that WADA be fixed. We are working closely with our partners FIFA and the ITA to ensure this summer’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games are the cleanest on record, and not a repeat of the 2021 and 2024 Games, where certain athletes with positive tests were allowed to compete, win, and in a way, have their own Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games have nothing to do with our athletes, the World Cup, or the Olympics, and President Banka knows this.”
Bańka speaking to the media
Speaking with the media last Thursday, Bańka described the Enhanced Games as very dangerous and irresponsible. The Games will allow doping under supervision, and of course, no testing.
The Games are to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, in May 2026.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) chief Witold Banka urged USADA to take a stronger stand against the Enhanced Games, saying authorities must be "very united" and explore legal ways to stop the event planned for Las Vegas.
— DW Sports (@dw_sports) October 31, 2025
USADA CEO Travis Tygart recently told DW Sports the… pic.twitter.com/NlYSBzc9z8
Twenty-three swimmers implicated
WADA and USADA have been battling each other since reports that 23 Chinese swimmers, one of whom competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, have been cleared using a contaminated meat defence.
In a separate incident, Tang Muhan and He Junyi both tested positive after eating French fries and hamburgers at a Beijing restaurant in October 2022. They claimed the positive test came from the burger meat.
The Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) ruled that the steroid came from contaminated meat of the burgers, and cleared the two athletes.
WADA confirmed that the two swimmers had tested positive for “trace amounts” of metandienone in October 2022, but said it was part of a broader number of positive tests in China involving meat contamination. USADA is questioning the pass given to the positive-testing athletes.
The battle continues as WADA demands USADA do something about the Enhanced Games; a tit for tat war of words seems to be emerging.
Specifically, what USADA is being asked to do is in question.
