Chinese Swimmers Case: Independent Prosecutor Submits Interim Report

The independent prosecutor reviewing the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) handling of the Chinese swimmers’ doping case has submitted an interim report confirming that the Agency did not exhibit bias.

This case concerns the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in 2021. The China Anti-Doping Agency’s (CHINADA) decision to accept that the swimmers tested positive for TMZ on account of contamination was reviewed by WADA and World Aquatics. Both bodies opted against challenging the decision.

In April of this year, WADA invited Eric Cottier to review of its handling of the case over allegations of bias levelled against the Agency. The interim report he submitted was discussed at an extraordinary Executive Committee meeting held on July 9.

As per the interim report, the investigation found no evidence of favouritism, interference, or irregularities in WADA’s assessment of CHINADA’s decision not to bring forward anti-doping rule violations against the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for TMZ. Further, WADA’s call to not challenge CHINADA’s decision through an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was considered reasonable; it was noted that the Agency “could reasonably consider that the chances of challenging the environmental contamination scenario were, if not nil, at the very least almost non-existent.”

Not only has the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into this contamination case under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, but a bipartisan group of US lawmakers has also threatened to cut funding for WADA over its alleged failure to investigate the matter properly.

In a recent statement regarding media reports on the closure of anti-doping cases where certain Chinese swimmers’ positive dope tests were attributed to meat contamination, WADA slammed the politicisation of anti-doping and asserted that it has been “unfairly caught in the middle of geopolitical tensions between superpowers”.