Why do dopers swim for medals?
By a hair's breadth, swimmer Angelina Kohler misses out on a bronze medal in the Paris pool. To make matters worse, one of the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned medication in 2021 ends up in third place.
The following day, Angelina Kohler was already much more composed. The swimmer's tears had dried up, and she spoke to ARD about how she planned to enjoy the next few days in Paris at the Olympics. Seventy-two hours after her last competition, athletes must leave the Olympic Village. So she had to change her plans: Together with friends, she moved into a vacation apartment, where they would see what happens next.
It looked very different just a few hours earlier, when tears were flowing for Kohler. She had just completed 100 meters butterfly in the pool on Sunday evening. She pushed herself for 56.42 seconds, but it wasn't enough. She missed out on a gold medal by just 21 hundredths of a second. The Katar world champion, in her first Olympic appearance, was left with a bitter taste in her mouth. "The fourth place is always the first loser. That's a bit shit," she explained later.
What likely didn't help her emotional state was who was standing at the pool's edge before her. Torri Huske from the USA crowned herself Olympic champion. Silver went to her compatriot and world record holder Gretchen Walsh. But the bronze medal went to Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei, which left a bitter taste.
The case highlights the challenges of the global anti-doping fight. In short: In 2021, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned medication. However, the heart medication Trimetazidine, which enhances endurance, was allegedly not taken intentionally but through contaminated food in a hotel, according to Chinese anti-doping authorities. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted this version and didn't investigate further. But subsequent investigations by ARD and the New York Times raised doubts and made the scandal public in April this year. The problem: Chat logs of Chinese athletes didn't match the version accepted by WADA, suggesting it's unlikely that all 23 swimmers stayed in the same hotel.
Now, this whole affair is causing discontent. "It's a shame that bronze goes to an athlete who tested positive but wasn't sanctioned," said Christian Hansmann, performance director of the German Swimming Federation (DSV). "She was regularly tested before the Olympics, so I assume it was a clean performance." Zhang's statistics show 19 negative tests before the Olympics. "Chinese athletes were tested the most before the Games," Hansmann reported, "but it still leaves a bitter taste."
DSV athlete representative Kevin Goetz expressed similar disappointment. "Exactly the situation we feared has happened," he said. "A Chinese athlete who apparently tested positive before the Tokyo Games wins bronze in Paris." He called on WADA to thoroughly investigate the suspicions and publish the existing investigation reports.
The moment is gone.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) indeed responded to the pressure. The global anti-doping body spoke with ARD and reviewed their research. Everything had supposedly been anonymized, as ARD doping expert Hajo Seppelt confirmed late Monday evening. However, what puzzled Seppelt was that WADA claimed they wouldn't further investigate the protocols without speaking to the Chinese whistleblower. "Who we are in contact with," he said. But that's complicated. Such whistleblowers "have incredible fear that the state apparatus will pursue them, especially in China," said Seppelt. The whistleblower declined to communicate with WADA, so the matter is currently at a standstill.
This isn't just puzzling athletes, but also doping expert Seppelt. The entire China case hangs like a heavy weight over the Olympic swimming competitions. WADA wants to have evidence before they investigate, said Seppelt. It's like a police officer seeing someone storming a bank but saying, "Before I have evidence that he's not a bank robber, I won't even ask." It's a poor showing for WADA.
And what this means for the affected athletes, Koehler made clear. "It's difficult for me," she said. She stands for clean sport and is constantly tested. "We must also say: nothing is official yet, investigations are still pending." So, we must wait and see what comes of it. Either way: for the unlikely event that she might still get the bronze medal, that moment on the podium is gone.
Despite the controversy surrounding the Chinese swimmer who tested positive but didn't lose her medal, Angelina Kohler remains focused on the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. She plans to enjoy the remainder of her time in Paris and make new memories, even if she won't be officially returning to the Olympic Village.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris offers a fresh opportunity for athletes, including Kohler, to compete without the shadow of doping scandals. Despite the ongoing investigation into the 2021 incident, athletes are looking forward to an unmarred competition in the future.
