Paris 2024: Astonishing detail of drug testing blitz on Chinese swimmers revealed
An eye-opening level of extra scrutiny is being applied to the Chinese swim team ahead of the Paris Olympic Games, despite the acquittal of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive to a prohibited heart drug prior to Tokyo.
Swimming
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Chinese swimmers have been drug tested more than 600 times in 2024, far more than any other country, according to new data released by swimming’s global governing body.
Less than a week before the start of the Paris Olympics, World Aquatic has released fresh details about its anti-doping blitz in the lead up to the biggest sports event on the planet.
The data shows China’s swimmers were targeted above and beyond athletes from other countries, including Australia.
While Australia’s top 41 swimmers were tested an average of four times in 2024, 31 Chinese were asked to provide samples at an average of 21 times.
Of the top 10 tested swimming countries, none, other than China, were tested at an average above six.
World Aquatics said the numbers include swimmers who did not qualify for Paris, but added a note saying each Chinese swimmer who made the Olympics was tested at least eight times this year.
In a statement, World Aquatics said: “Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organisations, aquatics athletes competing in Paris have been tested an average of 3.4 times, with 4,774 taken in total. This is the most tests ever conducted by World Aquatics before an Olympic Games.
“Swimmers from China were the most tested athletes during this period. Since 1 January 2024, the 31 swimmers from China competing in Paris have each been tested at least 10 times by World Aquatics, with an average of 13 tests per swimmer. World Aquatics conducted a total of 418 tests through this program.
“All Chinese swimmers have been tested out-of-competition at least eight times by World Aquatics, independently of any other anti-doping organisation and using a WADA-accredited laboratory based in Europe.
“Including tests conducted by other anti-doping organisations, Chinese swimmers have been tested on average 21 times since 1 January 2024. Australian swimmers have been tested an average of four times in the same period, and USA swimmers an average of six times.”
The release of the data follows revelations, first reported by this masthead, that 23 Chinese swimmers were secretly acquitted after testing positive to the prohibited heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and World Aquatics have strenuously denied they were lenient to China’s swimmers when competitors from other countries have typically been given automatic sanctions for positive tests, even when they were able to prove it was accidental.
According to World Aquatics’ published statistics, the top 31 most frequently tested swimmers in the world this year all came from China.
The most tested Australian was Moesha Johnson (7 times) followed by Nick Sloman (6), Shayna Jack (6), Brianna Throssell (6), Isaac Cooper (6), Ariarne Titmus (5), Mollie O’Callaghan (5), Cam McEvoy (5) and Elijah Winnington (5).
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