As the Paris 2024 Olympics unfold, the event faces scrutiny due to a doping controversy involving members of the Chinese swim team. Twelve athletes have not faced sanctions after testing positive for banned substances, raising questions about the integrity of the competition.
Among these athletes is Zhang Yufei, who won six medals at the Paris Games. Before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Zhang was one of 23 Chinese swimmers found to have trimetazidine (TMZ) in their systems. This heart medication is known for its performance-enhancing effects and is banned at all times due to its ability to improve endurance and recovery. In a notable comparison, the same substance led to a four-year suspension for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.
Chinese authorities attributed the positive tests to accidental ingestion of TMZ from a hotel kitchen contaminated with the substance. However, doping experts, including scientists from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), have expressed skepticism about this explanation. Despite WADA's requirement for provisional suspensions and public disclosures for positive tests, no athletes faced penalties, and the situation was managed so discreetly that WADA's board remained unaware until recently.
Additionally, WADA confirmed that three of the 23 athletes who tested positive for TMZ had previously tested positive for another banned substance, clenbuterol, in 2016 and 2017. Similar to the current cases, these instances were attributed to contamination and were not disclosed, leading to no suspensions for the athletes. All three competitors participated in both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, with one, Wang Shun, earning an individual bronze medal, while another, Yang Junxuan, contributed to relay teams that secured silver and bronze medals. The third athlete, Qin Haiyang, was part of two relay teams, winning silver and gold.
Recent developments have added to the narrative. Reports from The New York Times indicate that in 2022, two more elite Chinese swimmers tested positive for metandienone, a banned anabolic steroid. Like TMZ and clenbuterol, metandienone is subject to a four-year suspension and public disclosure.
In this case, the two swimmers were sanctioned; however, their punishment was initially handled privately, and their suspensions were later reversed. Chinese authorities once again cited contamination, claiming that the positive tests stemmed from steroid-laced hamburgers from a Beijing restaurant.
As the Games progress, the implications of these incidents continue to unfold, prompting discussions on doping policies and athlete welfare within the competitive landscape.
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