The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has defended its decision to clear 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. WADA addressed concerns raised by media reports at a news conference on Monday, emphasizing that it stands by its scientific investigation and legal decision in the case.
Chinese authorities cleared the swimmers in January 2021, accepting their explanation that the contamination originated from spice containers in the kitchen of a hotel where some of the team stayed. WADA agreed with this conclusion, noting that sending independent investigators to China during the COVID-19 pandemic was not feasible.
WADA prosecutor Ross Wenzel outlined a timeline from January to June 2021 during which the case was resolved, acknowledging that the decision came just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics. However, he denied any political pressure to drop the case and emphasized that WADA had no credible way to disprove the contamination theory.
WADA’s decision aligns with its position in the case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva, who tested positive for TMZ at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. WADA appealed the Russian anti-doping agency’s decision not to blame Valieva, seeking sanctions. In contrast, WADA had vigorously pursued the case against Chinese swimmer Sun Yang, who also tested positive for TMZ in 2014 and received a three-month ban.
WADA president Witold Bańka dismissed suggestions that the agency is lenient towards Chinese athletes, highlighting its pursuit of justice in the Sun case. China has maintained a zero-tolerance stance towards doping and has given almost $2 million to WADA in recent years above its expected payments.
The Chinese swim team won six medals in Tokyo, including three golds. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin affirmed WADA’s decision, stating that the swimmers were not at fault or negligent and did not constitute a doping violation. However, anti-doping rules in Olympic sports require a provisional suspension when athletes test positive for TMZ, except if contamination is suspected.
The case highlights the flaw in the global anti-doping system, where a country’s own anti-doping organization is often the first line of defense in catching drug cheats. Different organizations may have varying levels of motivation to fulfill their roles in ensuring fair play.
