DUNHUANG, China, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Former Winter Olympic champion Yang Yang said she would insist on "doing the right thing" in her third and final term as World Anti-Doping Agency vice president.
At a virtual WADA Foundation Board meeting on Thursday, Yang was unanimously re-elected to the post for another three-year term together with president Witold Banka, who praised Yang as "an exceptional partner."
Looking back at her journey as WADA VP in the past five and a half years, Yang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that one of the most significant achievements has been made in education.
"Anti-doping education is no longer a box to tick," said Yang.
"For many years, it was viewed as a supplementary tool - nice to have, but not essential. We have changed that," she added.
WADA established a stand-alone Education Department, introduced the mandatory International Standard for Education and set up the Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform, known as ADEL, to offer tailored education programs for athletes, coaches and support staff.
"We are increasingly seeing prevention and support where once there was only detection and punishment," Yang noted.
Another achievement Yang took pride in has been strengthened relations with athletes.
"Today, WADA is firmly and proudly an athlete-centered organization," she said.
WADA's Executive Committee and its decision-making body, the Foundation Board, both have members from the Athlete Council, which is also in charge of appointing athlete representatives to other WADA committees.
"Clearly, WADA's approach to athletes has changed markedly in recent years. They are no longer simply consulted on issues that concern them - they are integral to the system and a permanent fixture around the decision-making table. Their voices are being heard," Yang pointed out.
However, Yang admitted that there always will be challenges to tackle, with a 2021 contamination case involving Chinese swimmers triggering a war of words between WADA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
"No matter what evidence and facts you put before them, they simply don't listen. They just want to manipulate public opinion in a bid to weaken the system, driven by broader geopolitical agendas and ulterior motives. This cannot stand," Yang statedpointed out.
"Our mission must rise above borders and politics. Anti-doping is about fairness. It's about health. It's about the rights of every athlete - regardless of where they are from or the sport they play," she added.
While independent prosecutor Eric Cottier concluded in his review last year that WADA had showed no bias towards China in handling the case, it nevertheless served as a reminder of the serious issue of contamination.
"As our testing becomes more advanced and sensitive, we need to find the fine line between cheating and contamination."
"WADA is addressing this issue head-on through science, education and increased cooperation with public health and regulatory bodies," said Yang.
Despite the challenges, Yang expressed confidence in thriving under pressure, taking the organization's increased budget as an example.
Although the United States withheld its annual fee of 3.6 million U.S. dollars, thus losing its Executive Committee seat, WADA has seen its annual budget increase to 57.5 million dollars, up from last year's 50 million dollars.
"I have been so grateful for all the support from our stakeholders. Difficulties will only make us more united and give us more faith in doing the right thing," Yang concluded. Enditem
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