WADA: ‘No credible evidence of wrongdoing was provided’ in Chinese swimming case

WADA president Witold Banka said they had received “no credible evidence of wrongdoing” during investigation into Chinese swimmers who competed in Tokyo despite testing positive for a heart drug.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President, Witold Banka said his organisation had received “no credible evidence of wrongdoing” during their investigation into Chinese swimmers.  | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Monday said his organisation had received “no credible evidence of wrongdoing” during their investigation into Chinese swimmers being allowed to compete after testing positive for a prescription heart drug.

The sport was rocked at the weekend by revelations that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) -- which can enhance performance -- ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The swimmers were allowed to compete after world governing bodies accepted China’s findings that they had ingested it unwittingly from food during a meet in late 2020 and the early days of 2021.

Several went on to win medals, including gold, and many are in line to compete at the Paris Olympics this summer.

“Having spoken at length with our science department, legal affairs department and intelligence investigations unit, what I can say right now is that at every stage, WADA followed the whole due process and diligently investigated every line of inquiry in this matter,” said WADA president Witold Banka.

“If we had to do it over again now, we would do exactly the same thing,” he added.

Beijing on Monday called reports of the positive tests “fake news”.

China’s foreign ministry hit back at the widespread reports, which first emerged in the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD on Saturday, and cited a review of confidential documents and emails.

“The relevant reports are fake news and not factual,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.