Michael Phelps Advocates for Strict Anti-Doping Measures
Michael Phelps, recognized as the most decorated Olympian in history, has recently voiced his strong opinion that athletes who test positive for banned substances should face a lifetime ban from competition. His comments emerged in the wake of a doping scandal involving Chinese swimmers that gained attention earlier this year, particularly following the Tokyo Games.
“If you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again, cut and dry,” Phelps stated firmly, as reported by the Associated Press on Monday. “I believe one and done.”
On Sunday, the Chinese swimming team clinched the gold medal in the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay, breaking the United States’ longstanding undefeated streak in this event at the Olympics. However, their victory has been overshadowed by concerns stemming from the aforementioned doping controversy.
Investigative reports by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD in April revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance known as trimetazidine (TMZ), a prescription heart medication that can potentially enhance athletic performance by improving blood flow to the heart. Alarmingly, these athletes were never penalized for their violations.
Some of these swimmers went on to earn medals during both the Tokyo and Paris Games. They were permitted to compete after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted China’s assertion that the swimmers may have ingested the substance unknowingly through contaminated food at a hotel.
Other prominent swimming figures, such as U.S. Olympian Katie Ledecky and British swimmer Adam Peaty, have also expressed their support for rigorous anti-doping regulations in light of these revelations.
Phelps, who has an unparalleled record of 28 Olympic medals—23 of which are gold—asserted that the Chinese athletes who tested positive should have been disqualified from both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. “If everybody is not going through that same testing, I have a serious problem because it means the level of sport is not fair and it’s not even,” he emphasized, according to the AP. “If you’re taking that risk, then you don’t belong in here.”
Reflecting on his own experiences, Phelps noted that he underwent rigorous weekly blood and urine testing in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, proudly claiming he achieved his gold medals “the clean way.” He remarked, “I don’t think I ever competed in an even playing field or a clean field.” He also shared his suspicions regarding some competitors he believed may have been doping, stating, “But that’s out of my control.”
In previous statements, Phelps has highlighted the need for tougher sanctions against doping violations. He testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation in June, articulating that athletes have lost faith in WADA’s ability to enforce its policies effectively, especially in light of the recent Chinese doping scandal.
Required reading
- China snaps U.S. men’s streak in Olympic medley relay, closing swim slate full of questions with second gold
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
