China allegedly sends athletes suspected of doping to the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
Scandal erupted as ARD-Doping Unit and "New York Times" exposed 23 Chinese swimmers with alleged doping incidents. Despite this, WADA shows no intention to intervene. Surprisingly, 11 of these suspects are chosen to participate in the Olympics, including Butterfly specialist Zhang Yufei, double Olympic champion, and Gold Medal winners Wang Shun and Qin Haiyang.
The doping accusations against Chinese swimmers raises serious concerns for the Olympic Summer Games in Paris. The Chinese contingent is sending eleven athletes implicated in the scandal to the event, including high-profile swimmers such as Zhang Yufei and Gold Medal winners Wang Shun and Qin Haiyang.
The investigation conducted by ARD-Doping Unit and "New York Times" raised serious doubts about the legitimacy of China's Anti-Doping System and WADA's oversight. Allegations suggest that these 23 top swimmers tested positive for the banned heart medication Trimetazidine before the 2021 Summer Games, but were not penalized due to contamination in a hotel kitchen as per the investigation findings by CHINADA and Chinese authorities.
"WADA is yet to provide satisfactory answers"
New allegations have since surfaced, with the "New York Times" reporting that three of the 23 athletes tested positive for Clenbuterol years prior in 2016 and 2017. These athletes, including two Gold Medal winners from 2021 and a World Record holder, were reportedly six to 50 times over the banned substance limit. No names were disclosed in the report.
Chinese authorities contend that the swimmers ingested Clenbuterol through contaminated meat, but WADA expressed concerns about the findings, stating that "elevated values were found in the athletes."
Germany has also expressed criticism towards WADA, with the independent association Athletes Germany and National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) expressing dissatisfaction with WADA's lack of transparency and its results-oriented approach to addressing the many unanswered questions.
Lea Kruger, a member of the Executive Board of Athletes Germany, stated, "WADA continues to adhere to its assessments and remains accountable for answers to central questions. By doing so, it shows little openness to criticism and a results-oriented approach to handling the many open questions."
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The ongoing doping scandal surrounding Chinese athletes threatens their participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, as several implicated swimmers, such as Zhang Yufei and Wang Shun, are still slated to compete. WADA, despite past allegations of doping, has yet to implement stricter measures against China's Anti-Doping System.
Amidst the controversy, calls for transparency and accountability from Athletes Germany and NADA continue, with Lea Kruger voicing concerns about WADA's results-oriented approach and lack of response to the many unanswered questions.
