Wada cleared 23 swimmers of doping after accepting an explanation about substance contamination.
A high-ranking White House official has urged an independent inquiry into how anti-doping agencies exonerated 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for a banned substance shortly before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Joe Biden’s chief anti-doping official, plans to bring up the matter at a gathering of sports ministers in Washington this week, where representatives from the World Anti-Doping Agency are also expected to attend.
Wada acknowledged that the Chinese swimmers had indeed tested positive for the drug but accepted China Anti-Doping Agency’s explanation that this was a result of substance contamination. Wada stated that it was informed in June 2021 about China’s decision to attribute the adverse analytical findings to inadvertent exposure to the drug.
The choice not to suspend or publicly name the swimmers has sparked significant criticism, leading to calls for a fresh investigation.
Dr. Gupta affirmed to The New York Times, “The United States remains steadfast in its dedication to ensuring that every American athlete, as well as athletes worldwide, are afforded fair and equitable opportunities in international sporting events. Rigorous and independent investigations are necessary to scrutinize any potential misconduct.”
British three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty criticized Wada, labeling the failure to disclose the findings before the Tokyo Olympics as “extremely disappointing.”
Peaty questioned on social media, “Why withhold this information initially? Who truly gains from the lack of transparency and secrecy? What happened to strict liability? Regardless of who benefits, surely at this magnitude, it indicates systemic issues?”
China’s 30-member swimming team secured six medals at the Tokyo Games, comprising three golds among them.
During a virtual news conference on Monday, senior WADA officials defended their management of the case.
WADA president Witold Banka stated, “If we were to do it again now, we would make the same decision.”
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman responded to a question about the positive tests during a news conference on Monday by dismissing the reports as “false information.”
Athletes who fail doping tests typically face bans ranging from two to four years for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense, without mitigating circumstances.
World Aquatics, formerly known as Fina, expressed confidence that the positive tests were handled “diligently and professionally.”
“Regarding the Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs), they were thoroughly reviewed by the Fina Doping Control Review Board,” it added. “Materials pertaining to the origin of the AAFs underwent independent expert evaluation commissioned by Fina.”
- “World Aquatics is confident that these Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) were managed with due diligence and professionalism, adhering to relevant anti-doping regulations, including the Wada code.”
