NEW DELHI: The China
Anti-Doping Agency
(CHINADA) has firmly stated its refusal to comply with a request from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to disclose the investigation details of 23 swimmers who were found to have tested positive for
banned substances
prior to the
Tokyo Olympics
.
CHINADA asserts that such a demand lacks legal foundation, contravenes the World Anti-Doping Code, and infringes upon the athletes' legitimate rights and interests.
The agency emphasizes its stance of non-compliance with the publication request from USADA and certain U.S. Congress members.
"Such request, without any legal basis, is in violation of the World Anti-Doping Code and the legitimate rights and interest of the athletes. We will never accept the request for the publication of the case file made by USADA and certain members of the U.S. Congress," stated the CHINADA, as reported by AFP.
This declaration from CHINADA follows a hearing in Washington, where USADA CEO
Travis Tygart
, along with American swimmers
Michael Phelps
and
Allison Schmitt
, criticized the World Anti-Doping Agency (
WADA
) for its management of the situation involving the Chinese swimmers.
Amidst this controversy, China has announced the inclusion of 11 swimmers implicated in the doping scandal in its team for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
These athletes had tested positive for the prohibited heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in early 2021, ahead of the postponed Olympic Games.
Despite these findings, the implicated swimmers faced no suspensions or sanctions after WADA accepted the explanation from Chinese authorities that the positive results stemmed from contaminated food at a hotel.
Further scrutiny arose with reports revealing that three of these swimmers, including two gold medalists from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and a current world record holder, had previously tested positive for banned substances. These disclosures have led to concerns about the integrity of WADA and the overall trust athletes place in the agency.
English (US) ·