Chinese Swimmers Were Cleared to Compete at Tokyo Olympics Despite Positive Doping Tests

A recent report has revealed that 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine during a pre-Olympic training camp. The Chinese anti-doping authorities (CHINADA) deemed the positive results as adverse analytical findings but cleared all the swimmers without imposing any sanctions, citing contamination as the cause.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and swimming's world governing body World Aquatics (formerly FINA) were notified of the positive samples but agreed with the contamination scenario presented by the Chinese authorities. WADA's science department reviewed the case and concluded there was no concrete basis to challenge the asserted contamination, citing the consistently low concentrations of trimetazidine and the fluctuating positive and negative test results across multiple samples collected over several days.

However, the International Testing Agency (ITA) and the US Anti-Doping Agency expressed concerns about the handling of the tests and called for further investigations. Australian head swim coach Rohan Taylor also expects a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the alleged doping scandal, stating that the story was the talk of the pool deck at the Australian Open championships.

Why this matters: The decision to clear the Chinese swimmers without penalties has raised questions about the integrity and consistency of the global anti-doping system. The lack of transparency surrounding the process and the rare acquittal of athletes testing positive for trimetazidine have prompted calls for greater accountability and independent oversight to prevent future cases of doping and cover-ups.

The Chinese swim team went on to win six medals, including three golds, at the Tokyo Olympics. China's women's 4x200m freestyle relay team broke Australia's world record on their way to winning the gold medal, with the Australian team taking the bronze. Reports now indicate that China's relay team has been stripped of their gold medal and world record from the Tokyo Games due to an alleged doping violation, though the details remain unclear.

Key Takeaways

• 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine before Tokyo Olympics.
• Chinese authorities deemed the positive results as contamination and cleared the swimmers.
• WADA and World Aquatics agreed with the contamination scenario, but ITA and USADA raised concerns.
• Chinese swim team won 6 medals, including 3 golds, at Tokyo Olympics.
• China's women's 4x200m relay team stripped of gold medal and world record due to doping.