Investigator backs global anti-doping officials' handling of Chinese swimmers case
An investigator has backed the World Anti-Doping Agency’s handling of a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who failed drug tests weeks before the Tokyo Games.
An investigator has backed the World Anti-Doping Agency’s handling of a case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who failed drug tests weeks before the Tokyo Games and said WADA had not been complacent nor shown bias toward China.
Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, who was handpicked by the global anti-doping agency, said in a preliminary report in July that WADA did not mishandle the case involving the swimmers, who tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) but were cleared by a Chinese investigation.
Cottier reiterated those findings in his final report on Thursday but also criticized WADA for failing to challenge Chinese anti-doping authorities (CHINADA) for not following all of the procedures laid down in its anti-doping standard.
“Nothing in the file — which is complete — suggests that WADA showed favoritism or complacency, or in any way benefited the 23 swimmers who tested positive for TMZ,” Cottier said in the conclusion of his 59-page report.
He also found WADA’s decision not to appeal CHINADA’s decision not to bring forward anti-doping rule violations against the swimmers “reasonable.”
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