Chinese swimming row rumbles on as Ukad joins clamour for investigation

Pressure continues to grow on the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) after UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) became the latest body to call for an independent investigation into events that led to 23 Chinese swimmers competing at the Tokyo Olympics despite recording positive drug tests.

The Chinese athletes were found to have traces of the banned substance Trimetazidine (TMZ) in their system when tested in 2021, only for Chinese authorities to say they were victims of contamination. On Monday Wada said it had no reason to question the Chinese verdict, despite the ultimate source of the contamination having never been found.

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Ukad said it noted “with concern” the developments in the case and called on Wada to make full details of the inquiry public. “The recent media reports and responses by Wada and several national anti-doping organisations have led many athletes and the wider sporting community to question the consistency with which anti-doping processes work and how anti-doping rules are applied worldwide,” Ukad said in a statement.

“Without public access to the full details, and with speculation continuing in the media, a more transparent approach is needed. We call on Wada, in this specific case, to now initiate an independent review of the regulatory framework and processes applied.

“We hope that Wada, by expediting this process, can help ensure trust and confidence is restored in anti-doping worldwide, and clean athletes can continue to be protected and championed.”

Ukad was echoing sentiments already expressed by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), which has been strongly critical of Wada’s approach to the affair. Usada was in turn accused by Wada’s president, Witold Banka, on Monday of making “politically motivated” statements.

On Tuesday however Usada hit back, claiming that Wada had failed to answer any of the outstanding questions regarding the case and calling its investigatory process “selective and self-serving”.

In a statement Usada said: “Wada’s willingness to blindfold and handcuff itself, and to maintain that it would do the same thing all over again, is yet another stab in the back to clean athletes.

“Given this, we also call on the governments at the Wada executive and foundation board to launch a full review of how it came to be that 23 Chinese positive tests were covered up, and Wada allowed it to happen without any consequence, contrary to its own rules.

“Additionally, following this review, we call on governments and the sport movement to overhaul Wada to ensure a cover-up of positive samples on the eve of the Olympic Games cannot occur ever again, and to once and for all remove the fox from guarding the hen house by making Wada truly independent.”