Frequent doping tests and suspicion cast a shadow over China's Olympics swim team
A doping controversy has cast a shadow over Chinese swimmers at the Olympics and brought confrontation between the U.S. and global anti-doping authorities.
HONG KONG — It was one of those events made for the Olympics: China’s Pan Zhanle dominated the men’s 100-meter freestyle, smashing his own world record to finish more than a full second ahead of the silver and bronze medal winners.
"It was a magical moment," Pan, 19, told reporters afterward. For some Chinese fans, Pan’s victory was extra sweet in light of the frequent drug testing the country’s swimmers have faced amid outrage over suspected doping cases in the past that critics say China and global authorities covered up.
Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle won gold in the men’s 100-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday.Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP - Getty ImagesSupporters of China’s Olympic swimmers say that disruptions caused by the tests — international swimming officials say they have taken far more than other competitors — may be hurting their performance in Paris.
The team has been under a cloud of suspicion since The New York Times reported in April that 23 swimmers tested positive for a banned heart drug before the 2021 Tokyo Games. All were cleared by the China Anti-Doping Agency, which blamed contaminated food.
Though global anti-doping authorities accepted China’s conclusions, which were not made public at the time, the revelations and the fact that 11 of the 23 swimmers are competing in France (Pan is not one of them) have cast a shadow over the Paris Games.
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