WADA responds to doping allegations involving China leading up to Tokyo Olympics

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has issued a response to questions from The New York Times regarding an investigation into the Chinese swimming team in 2016 and 2017, which is a separate matter from the latest doping allegations involving Chinese athletes at the last Tokyo Olympics.

In April, members of the United States swim team were informed of alleged positive drug tests within the Chinese team that could potentially impact the results of several races and medal tallies in Tokyo, sources said. Sports Illustrated Pat Forde. The New York Times noted that China's top swimmer Zhang Yufei tested positive for a banned substance called trimetazidine and continued swimming anyway. The drug facilitates the metabolism of fatty acids, which helps the body use oxygen and allows increased blood flow to the heart, according to WebMD. Yufei has won four medals, including two gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

Swimmers Shun Wang, who won a gold medal, and Qin Haiyang, also tested positive for the drug.

Chinese athletes' positive tests at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have raised questions about the previous doping case involving Clenbuterol in 2016 and 2017, which WADA said was due to meat contamination. The agency noted that “traces” of Clenbuterol triggered the athletes' positive tests and that the threat of contamination was highest in China, Mexico, Guatemala and other countries. WADA also noted that three current members of the Chinese swimming team were among the athletes who tested positive in 2016 and 2017. The Agency did not specify whether the athletes who tested positive were Yufei, Wang and Haiyang.

“The WADA Contaminants Working Group was established with the aim of providing expert advice and recommendations to the global anti-doping community with respect to prohibited substances that may be prevalent contaminants,” said the AMA on Thursday. “Over the years, the rules have been adjusted to ensure fairness for athletes who unintentionally ingest a banned substance, while also protecting the system from those who cheat. Studies have shown that if you spend a lot of time in China, In Mexico and some other countries, your chances of consuming clenbuterol in meat are very high.

Prominent figures associated with the United States swim team were not enthused, to say the least, by WADA's claims.

“It's not great. It's extremely frustrating for athletes to always think that maybe the sport isn't fair,” said Lilly King, a two-time Olympian. “We put everything on the line – our privacy – everything we do to compete on a level playing field, it’s extremely frustrating when we don’t trust others to do the same.”

Cody Miller, a 2016 Olympian, launched directly after the AMA itself.

“It’s really disappointing and frustrating for all the athletes going through the negotiation process with USADA,” he said. “They show up at my house when I'm trying to put my kids to bed and feed them, and I have to go to the bathroom with strangers and pee in a cup. This is common in the United States, which has 'USADA, a true anti-doping agency.'

USA Swimming CEO Tim Hinchey is hopeful that better days are ahead and that a level playing field can be established at the Olympics this summer.

“We will always be strongly committed to having a level playing field for our sport. USADA does a great job, they are very strict, they do a great job, our athletes are tested so often. It's disappointing and a once again a distraction around the Olympics,” Hinchey said. “The new guys at World Aquatics, I believe in them and the new integrity unit that they have put together is an important step. For our athletes right now, it's about building the team. We're going to have level playing field here.”

The United States will continue to prepare accordingly ahead of the Paris Olympics next month, but many questions remain regarding the integrity of swimming, particularly as it relates to China.