- China blames Australian beef for failed anti-doping tests
- Two swimmers tested positive for steroids in 2022
- WADA accepted their explanation and they served a 12-month ban.
China has reportedly blamed Australian beef for causing two of its star swimmers to test positive for steroids two years ago.
According News CorporationChina’s state security services have tested beef imports from Australia, raising eyebrows among Australian meat industry officials.
The two stars were banned for just 12 months and their positive drug tests were kept secret from the swimming community, prompting questions from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Australia has strongly condemned China’s history with drugs in swimming, sparking intrigue around the beef argument against Australian meat suppliers.
A statement from Meat and Livestock Australia said: ‘Menthandienone is not used in any way in Australian beef production or in any veterinary medicine.’
It is unclear whether Australian beef producers were interviewed in the wider WADA investigation to determine what hormones are being given to their cattle.
Swimmers have lost faith in the drug testing system, with 200m breaststroke hopeful Zac Stubblety-Cook saying athletes had been “failed”.
Team USA superstar Kate Ledecky was not impressed by China’s excuse.
China blames Australia for two of its swimming stars failing doping tests
Chinese claim contaminated Australian beef is cause of negative drug test results
Australian swimmer Zac Stubblety-Cook says he has lost faith in the drug-control system
He said: “I read the report this morning. I think I’ve made my points pretty clear. It’s disappointing.”
Australian 4x200m relay swimmer Tommy Neill said: ‘Oh man, it’s always frustrating to hear about that, but, you know, the four of us were here to do a job this morning on our relief and we’re not thinking about that, we’re just worrying about ourselves.’
IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Chinese athletes had been tested 600 times since January and urged critics to allow WADA “to do its job.”
According to the New York Times, both positive tests detected amounts of methandienone, a steroid, in 2022.
China could not prove where the drug came from, but WADA and World Aquatics accepted the explanation that it was probably due to contamination of a lunch of burgers, fries and a soft drink consumed at a restaurant near their training base in Beijing.