Chinese Olympic Swimmers Win Gold Amid Doping Allegations

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Facts

  • The Chinese national swimming team has netted 12 medals at the Paris Olympics, including two gold, in the midst of allegations that positive tests for banned substances present in 23 Chinese swimmers ahead of the Tokyo Olympics had been improperly handled by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).[1]
  • China’s Anti-Doping Agency had cleared the athletes who tested positive for a heart medication, trimetazidine, ruling that the results were due to the consumption of contaminated meat, which WADA accepted.[1]
  • On Monday, China won gold in the men's 4x100M medley event, with participants Qin Haiyang and Sun Jiajun being among the swimmers who tested positive for banned substances ahead of the 2021 Games. The allegations went unreported until an April story in the New York Times.[2][3]
  • Zhang Yufei, a swimmer named in the doping allegations that won bronze in the women’s 4x100 medley, said that Chinese swimmers had been undergoing drug testing three to four times a day for months, with World Aquatics alone testing them at least 10 times this year.[4][1]
  • WADA has said there is 'no evidence' to dispute the Chinese claims of meat contamination. US lawmakers have threatened WADA's funding over the matter, with the International Olympic Committee saying that Salt Lake City's contract for the 2034 Games could be terminated if the US impugns WADA.[5][6]

Sources: [1]France 24, [2]BBC News, [3]New York Times, [4]Associated Press, [5]World Anti Doping Agency and [6]Reuters.

Narratives

  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Chinadaily.com.cn. These allegations are sour grapes from countries that have been overshadowed by China's record-breaking swimming performance at the Games. WADA has cleared the Chinese athletes and has the final word on these matters. American athletes have also tested positive based on food contamination, with these claims reflecting a xenophobic double standard China is held to.
  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Not only did WADA uncritically accept an implausible story from the Chinese, but they hid this story from daylight for years. Now exposed, they have resorted to intimidation tactics and claiming victimhood in the face of this gross mishandling. WADA needs a top-to-bottom investigation, as it casts a cloud over the Games this year and the athletes participating.

Predictions