The U.S. government did not pay the more than $3.6 million due to the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2024, making good on a long-running threat anchored in unhappiness with the global watchdog's handling of cases involving Chinese swimmers and others.

A war of words that has gone on for months became more substantive when the United States did not make its $3.6 million payment before a Dec. 31 deadline.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is facing a crisis after the US Government refused to make a US$3.6 million ($6.43m) contribution to the global watchdog’s annual budget amid an ongoing row over a doping scandal involving Chinese swimmers.