Chinese swimmers participating in the Olympic Games in Paris will be subjected to drug tests twice as often as athletes from some other nations.
Doping authorities have faced increased scrutiny recently after it was revealed that 23 swimmers tested positive for a banned substance but were still allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games.
Among these, eleven swimmers who tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) at a training camp seven months before the delayed 2021 Games have been selected for Paris.
World Aquatics, in its review of the decision to clear the 23 swimmers, stated that trust in the anti-doping system had been “weakened” due to the handling of the situation. However, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has committed to testing Chinese athletes eight times between the start of 2024 and the beginning of the Paris Games, which is twice the standard frequency.
Additionally, “best efforts” will be made to ensure that tests on Chinese athletes are conducted by an authority other than the China Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) and that the tests are analyzed outside of China.
World Aquatics aims to reassure athletes after Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, expressed that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) cannot be trusted to enforce its policies. US anti-doping authorities have also criticized WADA, which has responded by threatening legal action against its detractors.
Despite the controversy, the International Olympic Committee has stated it has “full confidence” in WADA and urged sporting agencies to show “respect” for the anti-doping body.