Executives at the United States Anti-Doping Agency and executives at the U.S. Olympic Committee appear to hold contrasting viewpoints on the main priority of the Games.

U.S. Olympic Leaders and Anti-Doping Officials Clash

USADA officials are lobbying international sports officials for stricter sanctions on Russia for their state-run doping program, while U.S. Olympic leaders are focused on ensuring Los Angeles is chosen as host city for the 2024 Summer Games.

Los Angeles is viewed as a likely financial boon for the committee. The opposing agendas have created conflict amongst top world sports executives as the Olympic Committee strives to bring the Games back to the U.S. for the first time since 2002, when the Winter Games were held in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Fighting with an organization responsible for giving future Olympic Games — it’s a big mistake,” said Vitaly Smirnov, an influential Russian Olympic official.

Smirnov specifically mentioned criticisms by Travis Tygart, America’s anti-doping chief, who has pushed for severe sanctions against Russia. “This gentleman is doing a very counterproductive job with respect to the Los Angeles bid,” Mr. Smirnov said.

Los Angeles and Paris have emerged as the two remaining candidates in the bidding race to host the 2024 Olympics. U.S. Olympic officials and other entities involved with the bid have expressed concern to members of congress that the fair-sports effort could alienate some of the global officials who will make the final decision in September regarding the host city.

Scott Blackmun, chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said he believed a congressional hearing regarding Russia’s doping scandal would be “more productive” after international sports officials indicated how they planned to address the scandal, and that he supported legislators’ desire to remain informed. Blackmun also said his organization prefers a quieter approach.

“We were not saying hearings were inappropriate, but instead that right in front of the Olympic Games is not the right time,” Mr. Blackmun said.

The Senate Commerce committee, which has not called a hearing but confirmed that its parallel inquiry was ongoing, said on Saturday that it had “challenged suggestions that the 2024 bid is a legitimate rationale for stopping or delaying necessary oversight of doping in international competition.”

Mr. Tygart shrugged off the criticisms of his methods. “It’s not unusual when you’re trying to do the right thing that there are attempts to pressure you to back off these fundamental values,” he said.

Meanwhile, several Olympic athletes have slammed the American and International Olympic Committees, as well as anti-doping agencies, for their hesitancy in punishing Russia for what they view as the country’s instances of repeated cheating.

“The I.O.C. is responsible for the integrity of the Olympics and keeping it functioning, and they’re not doing it,” said Sarah Konrad, an American biathlete who until last month was chairwoman of the United State’s Olympic Committee’s athlete advisory council. “I know Scott Blackmun thinks more needs to be done by WADA and the I.O.C., but he’s not willing to get out and stand on a pulpit and say that because of the bid.”

Ms. Konrad also stated how a fair Olympics is more vital to her than the possibility of the U.S. hosting the competition.

“I can sympathize with people showing restraint because they want L.A. to happen,” Ms. Konrad said. “But a clean playing field is more important to me than a home playing field.”

Asked to respond to Ms. Konrad’s statement, Mr. Blackmun called her “a very smart person.”

 Gian-Franco Kasper of Switzerland, who sits on the I.O.C.’s executive board, also cited, in addition to Mr. Tygart’s opposition, U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies as another that could potentially undermine Los Angeles’ hosting bid.

Mr. Trump has publicly expressed support for the 2024 Olympic bid, although his policies– particularly his executive order banning immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries– have raised concern amongst sports officials.

Mr. Blackmun said the American Olympic committee had received assurances from the State Department and Homeland Security that global athletes and officials would have no trouble entering the United States in 2024.

Mr. Tygart’s colleague Edwin Moses– an Olympic medalist and chairman of the American anti-doping agency’s board– expressed dismay that the agency’s positions might hurt the bid.

“If standing up for the rights of athletes and fair play somehow makes a country less likely to host the Olympic Games — wow,” he said. “That says about all you need to know about that process. It’s also exactly why sport has no business trying to police itself.”

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – SEPTEMBER 07: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge pulls out the name of the city of Tokyo elected to host the 2020 Summer Olympics during a session of the IOC in Buenos Aires, on September 7, 2013. (Photo by Fabrice Coffrini /Pool/Getty Images)

Brock Lesnar, former UFC heavyweight champion, has been suspended one year and fined $250,000 for failed drug tests around the UFC 200 event.

Brock Lesnar Suspended For One Year, Fined $250,000 For Failed Drug Tests

Lesnar defeated Mark Hunt at the event on July 9, which marked Lesnar’s first MMA fight since 2011. He left for WWE shortly afterward.

The 39-year-old tested positive for the anti-estrogenic agent Hydroxy-clomiphene in an out-of-competition U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug test on June 28 and in an in-competition test on the day of the fight.

Lesnar defeated Hunt by unanimous decision and was paid $2.5 million for the victory. The result for his fight with Hunt has been changed to a “no contest.”

Lesnar (5-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) will be eligible to return to MMA in July 2017. He is likely to receive a similar suspension from the USADA. His one-year ban closely mirrors the punishment received by former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for a similar infraction.

The WWE chose not to suspend him before the SummerSlam pay-per-view, where he ended up defeating Randy Orton via TKO.

Based on how WWE has used Lesnar, it seems he will stick around no matter what happens. This was seen with the Orton match, and the recent loss in less than 90 seconds to Bill Goldberg at Survivor Series. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion has already been announced for January’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view as well.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Brock Lesnar prepares to fight Mark Hunt during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Interim UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones has been suspended one year by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Jon Jones Suspended One Year For Failed Drug Test, Releases Statement

The USADA announced ban on Monday.

Jones, 29, became the first UFC athlete to enter arbitration with USADA last month, regarding sanctions for a failed out-of-competition drug test on June 16.

The suspension is retroactive to July 6, the date Jones was pulled from a UFC 200 pay-per-view title fight against Daniel Cormier, which was scheduled for July 9 in Las Vegas.

Jones (22-1) was provisionally suspended in July after testing positive for the banned substances clomiphene and letrozole.

The fighter released the following statement via his PR person Denise White:

“Although I was hopeful for a better outcome in the USADA ruling today,  I am very respectful of the process in which they allowed me to defend myself. I have always maintained my innocence and I am very happy I have been cleared in any wrong doing pursuant to the allegations made that I had intentionally  taken a banned substance. I am pleased that in USADA’s investigation they determined I was ‘not a cheater of the sport.’

“Being cleared of these allegations was very important to me. I have worked hard in and outside of the octagon to regain my image and my fighting career and will take these next eight months to continue my training and personal growth both as a man and a athlete. Thank you to all of my fans, teammates, coaches, sponsors  and to the UFC for their continued support.”

Jone’s attorney Howard Jacobs asserted the banned substances entered his system in the form of a sexual enhancement pill he believed was Cialis, a brand form of tadalafil.

Jones claimed he received the pill from teammate Eric Blasich “on or about June 14.” Jones also stated he checked with his agent, Malki Kawa, to confirm Cialis is not listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned substance list prior to ingesting the pill.

According to Jones’ arguments, he later found out the pill was not Cialis, but another form of tadalafil that Blasich had purchased from AllAmericanPeptide.com.

The three-member arbitration panel, which consisted of arbitrators hailing from England, Finland and Denmark, nevertheless found Jones at fault for the positive test.

Jones is still facing possible disciplinary action from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. A formal date for that hearing is not yet available.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 03:  Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones waits in a timeout as he defends his title against Daniel Cormier during the UFC 182 event  at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on January 3, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jones retained his title by unanimous decision.  (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)