11 Chinese swimmers involved in doping scandal part of Paris 2024 Olympics squad
China will be sending 11 swimmers, who were involved in a major doping scandal, to the Paris Olympics 2024. Previously, prior to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, 23 swimmers tested positive for the prescription heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ). But they were allowed to participate at the Summer Games after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted China's arguments, stating the positive result was caused by contaminated food unwittingly ingested at their hotel.
TMZ is a drug which enhances performance levels of athletes and China at the Tokyo Olympics saw a few of those swimmers win medals, some even gold.
On Tuesday, June 18, China named its swimming contingent for the Paris Olympics. The squad comprises notable swimmers like Zhang Yufei, a butterfly specialist who won two gold medals at the Tokyo Games. Wang Shun, who is also a gold medalist, will represent China at the Summer Games this time too.
11 of the athletes were among the 23 who were reported to have tested positive, as per The New York Times in April. WADA's decision to allow the Chinese swimmers to participate at the Summer Games have been highly criticized by all quarters including the USA.
WADA has stated that they will send a compliance audit team to China to assess the situation of the anti-doping programme and China has informed of its cooperation in the matter as well.
New trouble in the horizon for China ahead of Paris Olympics?
The New York Times reported earlier in June this year about three more swimmers testing positive for a different substance. The report said that the swimmers tested positive for clenbuterol in 2016 and 2017. The Chinese authorities argued that it was a result of intake of contaminated meat. Moreover, they have lashed out against the media outlet in a statement to the AFP and accused their story as a violation of media ethics and morals.
Having won multiple medals in swimming in the past, China are hot favorites this time too. But as per reports, their swimmers will be put under scrutiny.