World Aquatics to conduct more anti-doping tests on Chinese swimmers – Firstpost

World Aquatics said on Monday it would step up anti-doping testing on Chinese swimmers competing in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. In April, the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) during a domestic competition in 2021 – shortly before the Tokyo Olympics.

Chinese anti-doping authorities determined that they had unknowingly ingested the substance through contaminated food in their hotel. No action was taken against them.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the Chinese authorities’ argument and did not impose sanctions on the swimmers. Eleven of them have been selected for the Olympic Games in Paris, which begin this month.

The tests during the Games are carried out by the International Testing Agency (ITA).

“A certain number of athletes from specific countries will be tested four times by the ITA (in addition to their own NADO testing) between 1 January 2024 and the opening of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” according to a report by the World Aquatics Anti-Doping Audit Review Committee.

“A number of other athletes, including Chinese athletes competing in the Paris Olympics, will be tested by the ITA at least eight times during the same period.

“The ITA will make every effort to have all such tests of Chinese athletes carried out by a sample collection agency other than CHINADA, and to have the samples analysed by laboratories outside China,” it added.

The World Aquatics Review Committee supported the global governing body’s handling of the incident.

“The Committee found no irregularities, mismanagement or cover-up by FINA (now known as World Aquatics) in its review of the TMZ case or in its decision not to appeal CHINADA’s decisions in that case,” the committee said.

“The process and procedure followed by FINA in 2021 were consistent with both FINA’s operating procedures at the time, the generally accepted operating procedures of other international federations, and its obligations under the World Anti-Doping Code.”

WADA welcomed the changes and the first swimming events at the Paris Olympics took place on July 27.

“Following the positive findings of an independent prosecutor’s investigation into WADA’s handling of these matters, this is a further report detailing how appropriate procedures were followed under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code,” a WADA spokesperson said.

“WADA is pleased that a new investigation has found no evidence of misconduct by international anti-doping authorities in relation to these matters.

“As always, we will carefully review the Committee’s recommendations to determine how the applicable rules can be further strengthened and will consider them as part of the ongoing update of the Code and international standards.”

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