The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Tuesday that it has been cleared of any wrongdoing in its decision not to penalize elite Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance leading up to the previous Summer Olympics. Despite new details emerging, WADA defended its position.
A special prosecutor appointed by WADA to investigate the matter stated that the agency had made a reasonable decision not to impose sanctions on the swimmers. The prosecutor’s report concluded that WADA did not show favoritism towards China in this case.
However, in an annex to the report, it was highlighted that two top scientists at WADA expressed skepticism regarding China’s explanation that the swimmers were unknowingly contaminated.
WADA’s decision to exonerate itself may not appease critics, especially those in the United States, who have raised concerns about the transparency of the investigation. There have been allegations that WADA’s investigator was chosen by agency officials and that the positive tests were concealed by both WADA and China in 2021.
The announcement of WADA’s clearance comes following revelations that the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have initiated a criminal inquiry into the handling of the positive drug tests. This development surfaced shortly after The New York Times reported that 23 top Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the same banned heart medication prior to the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
China’s anti-doping agency attributed the positive tests to a case of mass contamination, claiming that the swimmers unintentionally consumed the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) through food served at a hotel where they were staying for a competition.
