The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has rejected accusations of a cover-up during its investigation into Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned heart drug and said it would take “all necessary measures” in response to the allegations. .
Reports over the weekend had claimed that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) – which can enhance performance – ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This led to a strong attack from the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Travis Tygart.
Tygart targeted WADA and the Chinese anti-doping body. He claimed the duo had “secretly, until now, swept these positives under the rug” and called the situation a “potential cover-up”.
The suspected contaminated swimmers were allowed to compete after world governing bodies accepted China’s findings that they had unintentionally ingested it from food during a competition in late 2020 and early 2021.
Several swimmers have won medals, including gold medals, and many are in the running to compete in the Paris Olympics which begin in June.
“What I can say now is that at every step, WADA followed all due process and diligently investigated every line of inquiry in this matter,” said the president of WADA, Witold Banka, during an online press conference.
“If we had to do it again now, we would do exactly the same thing. »
Banka said that “no credible evidence of wrongdoing has been provided by any source who has come forward on this matter, so the threshold required by WADA Intelligence and Investigations to open an investigation has not been achieved.
One of the options available to WADA would have been to take the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and challenge the decision of the Chinese anti-doping body (CHINADA).
WADA has taken such steps in the past, but Banka said that was not an option in this scenario.
He said the body had “no credible way to refute the contamination theory accepted by CHINADA, a position that was also accepted by World Aquatics.”
“In short, if we had made such an appeal and challenged the explanation for the contamination, we would certainly have lost,” he said.
WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel said the chances of success of such an appeal to CAS would have been “close to zero”.
Banka questioned Tygart’s motives for his criticism of WADA.
“I have to say that from our perspective, looking at the comments on social media and the official statements from USADA, it is obvious that most of the comments are politically motivated and without any evidence that there was anything , on our side. , false,” he said.
The WADA president said there was no question of his body being too lenient towards Chinese athletes.
“It is worth emphasizing that at the same time as our experts were reviewing this case in 2021, we are also vigorously seeking justice in the case of another Chinese swimmer, Sun Yang,” he said.
Sun, a three-time Olympic champion, is set to end a second suspension for doping. His first, in 2014, concerned TMZ.
Wenzel said WADA was examining comments made by USADA and others in media reports and a documentary by German broadcaster ARD with a “fine-tooth comb” and that the body would “take all measures required “.
“Fake news”
Beijing, for its part, described this information as “fake news”.
“The relevant reports are fake news and are not factual,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.
“I think you will also have noticed that the World Anti-Doping Agency has issued a very clear response,” Wang said.
Wang said China’s anti-doping center conducted a “thorough and detailed” investigation into the incident, which found the athletes ingested the drug via contamination “without their knowledge.”
“The Chinese swimmers involved were neither at fault nor negligent, and their behavior did not constitute a doping violation,” he told a news conference in Beijing.
“After an investigation, WADA confirmed the findings of the Chinese anti-doping center.”
Wang said the Chinese government “consistently maintains a resolutely zero-tolerance stance on doping.” adding that China advocates “fair competition” in sport.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of National Drug Control Policy in the United States, said: The New York Times that an independent investigation into Chinese swimming doping tests and WADA’s handling of the matter was necessary.
“Thorough and independent investigations must be carried out to examine any incidents that may result in wrongdoing,” he said.
(with contributions from AFP)
