Outrage as WADA ‘crumbles before the world’s eyes’ over Chinese swimmers

A Chinese swimmer has been set up to be the biggest villain at the Paris Olympics with a WADA announcement about Chinese athletes causing uproar.

American anti-doping crusader Travis Tygart has refused to accept an independent investigation panel’s verdict to clear the global anti-doping agency of showing favouritism to China.

The heated situation boiled over again on Wednesday when an investigative panel announced it had found no evidence to show that World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has acted inappropriately when it cleared 23 Chinese swimmers to compete, despite all returning positive tests for a banned performance enhancing substance.

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WADA’s fiercest critic has been Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who has claimed there was a cover-up and that the global body needed reforming.

Tygart again went on the attack on Wednesday, slamming aspects of the investigation process.

It was revealed in April the swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021.

It was determined by Chinese anti-doping authorities they ingested the substance unwittingly from tainted food at their hotel and no action against them was warranted.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the argument of the Chinese authorities and did not sanction the swimmers, 11 of whom have been selected for the Paris Olympics which start this month.

The case caused a global uproar, with US anti-doping authorities particularly leading the outcry.

As a result, WADA set up an independent investigation overseen by retired Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, whose interim findings were released on Wednesday.

“There is nothing in the file -— which is complete — to suggest that WADA showed favouritism or deference, or in any way favoured the 23 swimmers who tested positive for TMZ,” the report said.

China's Shun Wang may potentially be seen as a villain in Paris. Pics Adam Head

WADA president Witold Banka welcomed the findings, reiterating claims that criticism of the agency’s handling of the case were due to “geopolitical” tensions.

Banka, 39, said there had been “disgusting allegations about a cover-up by some individuals in the US”, and added that the agency was considering legal action against its critics.

“I am very sad that people tried to accuse us of really terrible things,” said Banka.

“If this case had happened in another country than China, it would not have brought attention.”

Publication of Cottier’s report however did little to assuage the criticism, with USADA chief Tygart saying in a statement that the announcement: “Still leaves most of the critical questions unanswered when it comes to WADA allowing China to sweep 23 positive tests for a potent performance-enhancing drug under the carpet.

“This is unsurprising since WADA itself handpicked the investigator and set the extremely limited scope of the investigation, preventing a meaningful review.

“Given its cozy role in the creation of the investigation, the world also has to wonder if WADA was able to see and even sanitise the report before its release.”

USADA said the question of how the drug involved in the case, TMZ, entered the hotel kitchen where food was purportedly contaminated, remained a mystery.

USADA also said the scientific basis and data that WADA used to conclude the case involved contamination remained unclear and said the investigation team had been “handcuffed” by the limited scope of its parameters.

“From the beginning, our goal has been uncovering the truth and the facts of this situation on behalf of clean athletes,” Tygart said.

“Until WADA leadership shares that goal and stops spewing vitriol at any voice of dissent, there will be no trust in the global anti-doping system.

“In fact, today’s WADA rules by fear and intimidation, as their statements make abundantly clear. It’s time for a new strategy given that WADA’s credibility is crumbling before the world’s eyes and athletes deserve openness, transparency, and truth — not more deflection and bullying.”

The US Department of Justice is probing WADA’s handling of the case and has summoned the executive director of World Aquatics (WA), Brent Nowicki, to testify in the case.

One of the 11 Chinese swimmers set to appear at the Paris Olympics is reigning men’s 200 metres medley champion Wang Shun.

That event will feature France’s strong gold medal hope Leon Marchand. When it was put to Banka that the home crowd might react angrily if Marchand lost to his Chinese rival, he said it would be an “unfair” reaction.

“Coming back to the outcomes of the investigation, there is no evidence that they were guilty, so it is unfair (to accuse anyone),” he said.

“Until you have evidence to challenge it, you cannot accuse people of doping. “Legally there is no evidence to challenge the contamination theory.”

The contamination defence has in the past often failed to be sufficient in individual doping cases.

However, Banka said this case of mass contamination would prompt a wider debate.

“We have to have a serious discussion about contamination cases, because I see more and more contamination cases, especially in the US, I have to say.”

USADA has pushed for another investigation to be carried out with wider scope to look into all aspects of the case.

Accusations made in USADA response to WADA verdict

China's Shun Wang wins Gold in the Men's 200m Individual Medley Final at the Tokyo Olympics. Pics Adam Head.

USADA’s statement included the following comments:

After our initial reading of the report, here’s what we still don’t know:

1. How did the TMZ enter the kitchen?

2. What is the scientific basis and data that WADA used to conclude that this was a case of contamination?

3. Why did WADA choose not to open an investigation, preventing them from effectively reviewing the factual bases for its conclusion?

4. Why did WADA allow China to break the mandatory rules without consequence?

5. Were all phone calls and conversations documented such that one can know what role WADA’s vice president, the IOC, and China’s extra funding play in WADA’s decision not to open an investigation or find any consequence on China for failing to follow the mandatory rules?

While WADA essentially handcuffed Cottier with both a limited scope and an impossibly short timeline for the investigation, we thank Mr. Cottier for being able to provide clarity in some critical places. We appreciate that the report confirmed the dubiousness of the contamination scenario relied upon by CHINADA, noting that WADA’s science director doubted “the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities” and the manufacturer of TMZ representative also had “difficulty in believing in the contamination.”

The report further confirmed that no TMZ was found inside containers or in food itself; no individual working at the hotel was known to use TMZ; and the nearest TMZ factory 200 km away was not linked to TMZ’s presence in the kitchen.

These facts underscore the importance of WADA needing to use its investigative capabilities to assess the credibility of the source of TMZ, which it did not do. Indeed, what is most striking from the timeline included in the annex to the report is that no one from WADA’s Intelligence & Investigations team was mentioned as being involved in the review of the case. By not opening an investigation, WADA bound itself to the facts on the ground provided by CHINADA and “public authorities” without testing their veracity by interviewing athletes or doing any independent factual development.

Given the fact that there are still many unanswered questions around the 23 TMZ positives, and worse, the report confirms WADA failed to investigate the facts on the ground in China and failed to uphold its own rules, we once again call for:

WADA to release the full China dossier, especially the actual scientific and testing data relied on by China and WADA in determining this was a case of contamination.

WADA to submit to a compliance audit as all WADA Code Signatories are required to do.

A more thorough and independent investigation, where the scope and investigator are identified by neutral third parties.

These are the actions that athletes and other stakeholders need to restore some trust in the system and regain some confidence that decisions are being made in the interests of clean athletes, not in backrooms based on political calculations.