Chinese athletes have once again dazzled the world with their record-breaking performances at the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympic Games. However, amidst the celebration, a cloud of doubt has been cast by some athletes and media outlets questioning the integrity of their achievements.
In April, a report by The New York Times claimed that 23 top Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) but escaped punishment, with some athletes proceeding to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of “inaction” and a “cover-up” for accepting China’s findings, which suggested that the swimmers unknowingly ingested the substance from contaminated food at a hotel.
In response, WADA enlisted an independent prosecutor to investigate its handling of the case. The investigation found no evidence of favoritism or misconduct by WADA. Despite the findings, U.S. officials have threatened to impose new laws that would allow relevant authorities to withhold membership fees worth over $3 million from WADA.
WADA President Witold Banka addressed the issue at a session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Paris on July 24, just two days before the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games. “This cannot be allowed to stand,” Banka stated, warning that if U.S. authorities assert jurisdiction over cases beyond their purview, it risks isolating the U.S. from the global anti-doping system.
Records indicate that athletes from the Chinese mainland undergo more frequent anti-doping testing compared to athletes from other countries. According to data from World Aquatics, each Chinese swimmer is tested an average of 21 times in the lead-up to the Paris Games, compared to six tests for American swimmers, five for Italians, and four for Australians. Moreover, Chinese athletes compete clean, with only 0.2 percent of doping violations detected in 2022, significantly lower than figures from the U.S. and Canada, as per WADA data.
The skepticism and allegations have frustrated many, including prominent Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei, who questioned the double standards applied to athletes. “Why weren’t athletes like Phelps scrutinized when they shattered records and won multiple gold medals?” she asked. Zhang emphasized that Chinese athletes undergo rigorous and often tedious testing processes by official agencies such as WADA.
“I don’t think the incident will have a serious impact on us,” Zhang said. “Because we are innocent. World Aquatics and all relevant parties have clarified the situation thoroughly. If that’s not enough to clear the doubts of some people, then further rebuttals are meaningless.”
Support for Chinese athletes has surged online. One comment that garnered nearly 3,000 likes read, “It’s just pure prejudice! The belief is that U.S. and Australian swimmers are superior, so if Chinese swimmers win—they must be cheating. It’s just plain unfair!”
Reference(s):
How U.S. shadow looms over the Olympics and its organizations
cgtn.com
