- New doping whirlwind around China's swimming team
In the affair surrounding unpunished doping cases in China's swimming team, new revelations have emerged. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), which has been criticized, confirmed that two more top athletes have avoided long doping bans and were acquitted of the charge of sports fraud following positive tests in the recent past. According to a report by the "New York Times", the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (Chinada) had, among other things, exonerated the relay Olympic champion Tang Muhan in 2022 because a steroid found in her system was allegedly due to a contaminated hamburger.
Previously, the affair involving 23 swimmers who tested positive for the heart medication Trimetazidin at a national competition in China in early 2021 but were not suspended had overshadowed the Olympic competitions. Here too, Wada followed the decision of Chinada. An independent investigator found no misconduct by Wada.
Positive doping test due to contaminated hamburger in China?
According to the "New York Times", the recently known cases are the third instance where Chinada has refrained from suspensions due to allegedly contaminated food. Tang Muhan, who won gold in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay in Tokyo and has been nominated again for Paris, reportedly consumed a burger in a Beijing restaurant that was likely contaminated with the banned substance Metandienon.
Wada emphasized that it had reviewed the Chinese decision with necessary skepticism. However, there was no reason to appeal the acquittals. Wada currently has an investigation underway regarding the amount and risks of steroid-contaminated food in China and other countries like the USA.
IOC dismisses criticism of doping inspectors
China's swimmers at the Olympics in Paris have vehemently denied doping. After Zhang Yufei, who, according to ARD, belongs to the 23 unpunished swimmers from the 2021 case, won bronze over 100 meters butterfly ahead of Angelina Köhler, the topic received renewed attention in Germany. Kevin Goetz of the Association of German Athletes stated that "there has been a massive loss of trust and credibility due to Wada's handling of the suspicions".
The International Olympic Committee dismissed doubts about the doping inspectors. "The Chinese are the most tested athletes worldwide," said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. Wada and the International Testing Agency (ITA) are doing good work.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the Olympic Games, Tang Muhan, the gold medalist in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay from Tokyo, and a candidate for Paris, was acquitted of a doping charge due to a contaminated hamburger, according to a report by the "New York Times".
- Wada is currently conducting an investigation into the amount and risks of steroid-contaminated food in China and other countries, including the USA, following multiple instances where alleged contaminated food led to avoided suspensions in doping cases.
