Swimming - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 1 - Source: Getty — Chinese swimmers after winning the bronze medal in the women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay at the Paris Olympics 2024 | Getty

China vs USA doping claim at Paris Olympics 2024 explained: All about the verbal dispute between the two countries over 'testing' of athletes

Modified Aug 10, 2024 10:27 GMT

The 2024 Paris Olympics will be winding up in a day or two, but some of the controversies from the Games would seem to be far from over. After American athletes and officials urged the anti-doping authorities to be stricter on China, the latter's anti-doping agency has struck back, asking the World Anti Doping Authority for further testing of the American track and field athletes.

The China Anti-Doping Agency issued a statement, wherein they said, [via Anadolu Agency],

"If trenbolone is indeed a common contaminant in the United States, CHINADA would like to remind athletes from all over the world, including American athletes, to play close attention to the meat contamination problem in the country when training and competing there, to strengthen doping risk prevention measures, and to eat meat products with caution."

Interestingly, the trenbolone remark came in the light of American runner Erriyon Knighton testing positive for this substance. However, he was let off after it was found that his food was allegedly contaminated with the same.

The remarks also come after the recent allegations from the USADA chief which accused WADA and other anti-doping agencies of letting off Chinese swimmers accused of doping on identical grounds.

The CHINADA added in their statement:

"Otherwise, as the American swimmer Phelps - under the wing of USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) - suggested in a recent interview, 'if you test positive, you should never be allowed to come back and compete again, cut and dry.' "

In a report carried in The New York Times in April 2024, it was reported that 23 Chinese swimmers were accused of doping as they tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, only months before the Tokyo Olympics 2020. However, some of these swimmers participated in the 2020 Games after WADA accepted the CHINADA's explanation that their food was contaminated. This has been criticized by the USADA and its head Travis Tygart, who have accused WADA of not carrying out its responsibilities fully.

Athletes who spoke out about alleged swimming doping controversy at the Paris Olympics

China and the USA have engaged in a verbal duel ever since the IOC allowed Chinese swimmers accused of doping to participate at the Paris Olympics 2024. 11 of the 23 accused were part of the swimming events at the quadrennial Games in Paris, including two swimmers who won the men's 4x100m medley race gold medal for China.

Several former and current Olympians have criticized the decision, including Michael Phelps.

When Pan Zhanle broke his own world record in the 100m freestyle event at the Paris Olympics, Australian coach Brett Hawke said that what Zhanle did was humanly impossible. British swimmer Adam Peaty, who won a joint silver medal in the 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics 2024, also shared his concerns.

Apart from criticizing the mismanagement at the Paris Games, Peaty also questioned the anti-doping authorities for not doing enough about potential offenders. He said in a statement [via The Guardian],

"....We have our faith in system, but also, we don't. The Americans have been very vocal, we don't to get distracted with that, but I think it's got to be stricter. I think that the people that need to do the job, wake up and do your job!"

Swimmers like James Guy and Lilly King also cast aspersions over the credibility of WADA after the Chinese swimmers were not sanctioned. The former coach of the U.S. women's swimming team, Greg Meehan, was also not impressed with the alleged lack of transparency from both WADA and CHINADA.