Anti-Doping Body Faces Calls For Review Over Chinese Swimmers

By: Gyang Dakwo

With just about three months to the Paris 2024 Olympics, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has faced growing criticism in recent days for its response in early 2020 after 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medication that increases blood flow. The substance has been banned for use by athletes for the past decade.

Chinese authorities reported the positive test results to Wada several weeks after the event but blamed a hotel kitchen for causing a mass accidental exposure.

With no opportunity to investigate on the ground because of pandemic lockdown measures, Wada accepted China’s decision not to suspend the swimmers or to make the matter public. Several athletes involved went on to win medals at the delayed summer Olympics in Tokyo the following year.

However, after details of the case were revealed last week by the New York Times and German TV channel ARD, Wada has come under intense pressure to explain why it opted not to take action.

USADA, the US anti-doping authority, on Tuesday attacked Wada, accusing it of covering up the positive tests and destroying public trust.

It called for an independent prosecutor to review the case and for Wada to be reformed to “remove the fox from guarding the hen house” and create a “real global guard dog . . . to apply the rules uniformly and fairly”.

Similarly UK Anti-Doping on Wednesday urged Wada to “initiate an independent review of the regulatory framework and processes applied” in the case of the Chinese swimmers. Such a step would “help ensure trust and confidence is restored in anti-doping worldwide”, it said.

Also, Australia’s sports integrity watchdog joined international calls for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to undertake an independent review of its processes regarding the swimmers.

Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) chief executive, David Sharpe, has written to Wada seeking clarity around the processes performed in the handling of the case.

SIA issued a public statement on Thursday, moving to reassure Australian athletes “of the agency’s commitment to ensuring the global anti-doping system is thorough, fair and transparent”.

Meanwhile Wada is sticking to its guns, insisting that everything was done in a transparent manner thereby brushing aside any related cover-ups.