WADA confirms 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive before Tokyo Games, accepted contamination finding

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Saturday confirmed reports that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned drug ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but accepted the country’s conclusions that it was due to contamination of the substance.

Multiple media reports said swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), found in heart medications, months before the COVID-delayed Games began in the Japanese capital in July 2021.

CHINADA, China’s anti-doping agency, and the Chinese Swimming Association did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

WADA said it was notified in June 2021 of CHINADA’s decision to accept that swimmers returned adverse analytical results (AAF) after being inadvertently exposed to the drug through contamination.

The global anti-doping body, which has the authority to appeal rulings by national doping agencies, said it reviewed the decision and consulted scientific experts and outside legal counsel to test the contamination theory advanced by CHINADA.

“WADA ultimately concluded that it was not in a position to refute the possibility that contamination was the source of TMZ and that it was consistent with the analytical data in the file,” the world anti-doping body said in a statement.

“WADA also concluded that the athletes would have no fault or negligence. As such, and based on the advice of outside counsel, WADA found that an appeal was not warranted.”

China’s 30-member swimming team won six medals at the Tokyo Games, including three gold.

Without extenuating circumstances, athletes who fail doping tests are typically subject to suspensions of two to four years for the first offense and life for the second.

World Aquatics, the sport’s global body formerly known as FINA, said it was confident the positive tests would be handled “diligently and professionally.”

“With respect to the AAF… they were carefully considered by the FINA Doping Control Review Board,” he added. “Materials related to the source of the AAF were subject to scrutiny by independent experts hired by FINA.

“World Aquatics is confident that these AAFs were handled diligently and professionally, and in accordance with applicable anti-doping regulations, including the WADA Code.”

Reuters