U.S. drug control and anti-doping authorities publicly requested an independent review of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) ruling in the doping case involving 23 Chinese swimmers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which was held in 2021 because of the pandemic. This controversy is shaking the world of sports just three months before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Rahul Gupta, head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, an organization that reports directly to the White House, was the first to request this review, which was joined by the Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The USADA statement was issued one day after WADA organized a press conference to deny the accusations.
The U.S. agencies' request stems from doubts about the reliability of WADA, which cleared Chinese athletes at Tokyo 2020 even though they tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance that significantly improves blood circulation which was banned from sports competitions in 2014. A joint investigation by the New York Times and German public television revealed the results of the 23 swimmers during the Tokyo Olympics.
Call for Independent Prosecutor and Overhaul of WADAhttps://t.co/gxlfHagJbm pic.twitter.com/RPBaCCpOkM
— USADA (@usantidoping) April 23, 2024
During the Tokyo Olympics, China took home a total of 89 medals. Three of the gold medals China won were in swimming categories. Cina took home another four silver medals from swimming, in addition to one bronze.
According to the New York Times, China acknowledged the positive results in a report by its anti-doping regulatory body, which stated that the swimmers had taken the banned substance unknowingly and in small amounts and that no action against them was warranted. In another WADA press conference, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the doping accusations and described them as "fallacious," as reported by AFP.
As a result, the USADA has directly accused WADA of covering up the doping of Chinese athletes, resulting in diminished trust in the international body, particularly with the Paris Olympics on the horizon. Regarding WADA's press conference aimed at refuting U.S. accusations, the USADA believes that "the selective and self-serving application of the rules we heard about yesterday destroys public trust in the authenticity and value of the Olympic and Paralympic movement."
To fix this situation, the USADA called on the international community to appoint an independent investigator to thoroughly examine the doping allegations related to trimetazidine.
