U.S. vs. World Doping Association: Did WADA Cover Up Doping Allegations Against 23 Chinese Swimmers? Maybe.

Positive Tests for a Heart Medication Commonly Used to Enhance Athletic Performance

From Dec. 31, 2020, to Jan. 3, 2021, a national swimming competition was held in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China. During the competition, 60 drug tests were administered to check for a banned substance called Trimetazidine (TMZ), and 23 of the competing swimmers tested positive for the banned substance drug, according to a summary report of the incident written by Eric Cottier, who WADA appointed as an “independent” investigator.

TMZ is a medicine that increases blood flow to the heart and, consequently, can improve athletic performance, according to a WebMD article.

TMZ Contamination in Kitchen?

After the discovery, the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) investigated and said it found TMZ contamination in the hotel’s kitchen where the athletes were staying and eating their meals, according to the summary report. In light of that discovery, coupled with the low dosages of TMZ and inconsistent test results of the athletes who were tested for consecutive days, China claimed that the 23 Chinese athletes unwittingly ingested TMZ at the hotel and decided not to consider the test results as violations of anti-doping rules.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Swimming Federation, now World Aquatics, were notified of the Chinese decision and had the right to appeal, but they decided not to, as detailed in the summary report. Several Chinese swimmers who tested positive then went on to compete and even medal in the Toyko 2020 Olympic Games, which was delayed until 2021.

A WADA Cover-Up?

But even though the positive test results and subsequent exoneration occurred in 2021, the rest of the world didn’t find out about it until this year. Since the news of this case broke in early 2024, WADA has been accused of covering up the doping scandal. One of the loudest voices of this accusation has been the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

“WADA’s doubling down on half-truths and self-serving rationalizations for failing to enforce its own rules is deeply concerning, and those who value fair play remain completely unsatisfied by the answers being provided by WADA regarding its sweeping of 23 positive tests under the carpet,” the USADA’s CEO Travis T. Tygart said in the statement rebutting WADA’s fact sheet on the matter. In the rebuttal, The U.S. questioned why WADA accepted China’s explanation for the drug results without a proper investigation and why they failed to disclose the test results until years after they happened.

Because of the COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, WADA was not allowed to thoroughly investigate the hotel restaurant and kitchen where the TMZ was found, Ross Wenzel, WADA’s General Counsel, responded in a media press conference in April 2024. WADA had no evidence to debunk China’s claim, even though they couldn’t explain how TMZ got into the hotel’s kitchen.

WADA further noted in the conference that the dosage of TMZ levels was not only too small to show consistently in consecutive days of testing, but they were also too small to affect the performance of the athletes.

USADA argued in its rebuttal that results like that could stem from doping during the lead-up to the competition, which could positively affect performance.

Still, WADA maintains that there is no evidence to support that in this case.

Why Didn’t WADA Disclose the Results?

The U.S. questioned WADA’s decision not to disclose the case and criticized the agency for not testifying at a U.S. House Congressional hearing on the subject.

WADA stated they refused the invitation to the Congressional hearing because they didn’t want to politicize the case and stand between the rising tensions of the American and Chinese governments, according to a statement. WADA also stated that they do not reveal the identities of athletes found not guilty of doping violations, and Congress also wanted personal information on the athletes that had tested positive.

Despite the accusations from USADA, the full report by Eric Cottier on Sept. 12 found no wrongdoing or bias in WADA’s actions.

But Was the Investigation Truly Independent?

The U.S., UK and Australia don’t think so.

The three nations have demanded another independent review of the potential doping violations. The U.S. has claimed that Cottier was a “cherry-picked” investigator by the WADA. The USADA published its rebuttal to Cotter’s report on Sept. 13. In it, they claimed that, among other things, Cottier assumed the results from the Chinese investigation were true without independently verifying them.

Though Cottier’s report has been released, a cloud of suspicion remains around China’s national swimming team. The question– and the controversy– of whether the WADA unfairly exonerated Chinese athletes is ongoing.