World Aquatics confirms more testing for Chinese swimmers competing at the Paris Olympics

After the doping scandal that rocked the swimming scene in the lead up to Paris, World Aquatics has confirmed additional independent testing for Chinese swimmers ahead of the Games.

Chinese swimmers have been secretly forced to undergo extra drug tests since the news broke that nearly two dozen top Chinese swimmers were let off without any punishment after testing positive to a banned drug in 2021.

World Aquatics, swimming’s global governing body, has just confirmed that Chinese swimmers competing at the upcoming Paris Olympics will be tested for performance enhancing drugs at least eight times from Jan 1-July 27, 2024.

World Aquatics said athletes from other countries had also been identified for additional tests, but China was the only national that was named specifically.

Furthermore, World Aquatics said the testing samples would be collected by the International Testing Agency (ITA), rather than China’s own doping agency CHINADA, and the results would be independently analysed.

Zhang Yufei won gold for China at the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Supplied

The recommendations have been made by World Aquatics to try and restore the sport’s image in the wake of the doping scandal that has rocked the build up to Paris.

While the 23 Chinese swimmers who were secretly cleared of doping despite all testing positive to TMZ in 2021 will remain unpunished, World Aquatics has dramatically upped the ante.

“Prior to the disclosure of the TMZ Case, World Aquatics increased the number of tests it conducts during Olympic years. Notably, a certain number of athletes from specific nations will be tested four times by the ITA (in addition to their own NADO testing) between 1 January 2024 and the opening of the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” World Aquatics said in a report released on Wednesday.

“A certain number of other athletes, including Chinese athletes taking part in the Paris Olympic Games, will be tested by the ITA no less than 8 times during this same period.

“The ITA will use its best efforts to have all such tests of Chinese athletes conducted by a Sample Collection Authority other than CHINADA, and to have the samples analysed by laboratories outside of China.”

China's Shun Wang won gold in Tokyo. Picture: Supplied

The bombshell recommendations were included in an independent report World Aquatics conducted into the case, which was covered up until first reported by this masthead in mid April.

Released on Monday, than two weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, the report cleared World Aquatics of showing any favouritism towards China after it decided not to challenge China’s explanation that the positive results were caused by contamination.

The findings followed another report, released last week, in which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) claimed it too had been exonerated of not following the rules and letting the Chinese off the hook.

But not everyone is convinced everything was done by the book because competitors who test positive to TMZ normally incur an automatic ban.

US anti-drugs crusader Travis Tygart described WADA’s review as meaningless while Global Athlete & FairSport also cast doubts on the credibility of the initial report.

The committee appointed by World Aquatics to review its involvement in the case included Australian lawyer Annabelle Williams, a former Paralympic swimming champion who serves on a number of important sporting organisations, including as a board member of Swimming Australia, a member of the National Sports Tribunal and former legal counsel to the Australian Olympic Committee.

World Aquatics President Husain Al Musallam. Picture: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

While the review focussed on the processes and procedures followed by World Aquatics, rather than the Chinese case findings, it did come up with 10 recommendations.

One of these included having cases resolved before major events, which would avoid a repeat of the clash between Mack Horton and Sun Yang at the 2019 world titles.

In that instance, Sun was allowed to compete despite facing charges of tampering with his samples, which he was later banned for.

As well, the World Aquatics report included a section on Athletes’ trust, acknowledging the damage the case had done to the sport.

“The Committee notes that the TMZ Case has weakened the trust of the Aquatics community, notably among the athletes, in the anti‐doping system,” the report said.

“In particular, questions were raised as to whether anti‐doping rules are applied consistently in all countries, in particular as it relates to the principle of strict liability.

“The frustration was particularly strong with athletes who felt they were denied a medal for which they had worked their whole life. The Committee does not take it upon itself to rebuild and maintain this trust but does consider it appropriate to highlight certain actions which it believes may help generate a certain level of reassurance in the work being conducted by World Aquatics, with the assistance of the ITA and the Aquatics Integrity Unit.”

Originally published as World Aquatics confirms more testing for Chinese swimmers competing at the Paris Olympics