Two Chinese swimmers cleared after positive tests in 2022 - report

Two Chinese swimmers, including one scheduled to compete at the Olympics, tested positive in a doping control in 2022 but were cleared by Chinese authorities, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.

The latest report follows a major dispute in the sport around the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) at a domestic competition in late 2020 and early 2021 ahead of the Tokyo Games. They were also cleared with food contamination given as the explanation.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has accused the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of a cover-up in an increasingly bitter dispute.

In the new report, the New York Times said that Chinese authorities concluded that a steroid had been accidentally ingested when the two swimmers ate hamburgers in Beijing with only 'trace amounts' detected which they said was consistent with food contamination rather than doping.

The paper said that one of the swimmers had also been part of the previously reported case of the 23 swimmers.

In a statement in response to the article, WADA said that the latest case was part of a "wider series of cases" also including a shooter and a BMX rider who all tested positive for metandienone, in late 2022 and early 2023.

"Upon notification, the athletes were all immediately provisionally suspended, pending investigation and remained so until late 2023 when the investigation concluded. Therefore, in the case of the two swimmers, they were suspended for more than one year," the organisation said.

WADA said that the provisional suspension, imposed on November 3rd 2022 was "with the view to asserting a four-year period of ineligibility before a CHINADA anti-doping tribunal."

But when the similar cases of the shooter and the BMX rider, neither of which are part of the Paris Olympics, emerged, CHINADA conducted an investigation into possible meat contamination.

"The investigation by CHINADA included the testing of hundreds of meat samples from various sources, with dozens revealing positive results for metandienone," WADA said.

The agency added that CHINADA had also analyzed supplements used by the athletes and conducted hair tests -- which were negative.

Both swimmers provided negative doping control samples in the days before and after the positive result, added WADA.

"Following its investigation, CHINADA concluded that the four cases were most likely linked to meat contamination and, in late 2023, closed the cases without asserting a violation, with the athletes having remained provisionally suspended throughout that time" the statement said.

WADA said it "thoroughly" reviewed the cases and decided not to challenge CHINADA's ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In 2024 WADA said it launched an investigation to "assess the circumstances, scale and risk of meat contamination with metandienone in China and other countries" which remains ongoing.

The Times had reported that a member of the International Testing Agency (ITA), who reviewed the case, argued that World Aquatics should have appealed the Chinese decision to clear the swimmers.

A spokesperson for World Aquatics said: "It would not be appropriate for World Aquatics to comment on this case in detail, but World Aquatics can confirm that it never received any recommendation from the ITA to appeal the case."

WADA repeated their stance that politics was at play in the criticism of their approach to the Chinese cases.

"The politicisation of Chinese swimming continues with this latest attempt by the media in the United States to imply wrongdoing on the part of WADA and the broader anti-doping community," they said.