Aquatics GB, the governing body of British swimming, has said it is “extremely concerned” by the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance but were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
On Monday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) defended its actions in the affair, saying it “would do exactly the same thing” if it faced such an issue again. But voices from across the sport and beyond have questioned the process which saw the results of positive tests for Trimetazidine (TMZ) kept secret and a verdict of contamination accepted despite an investigation conducted by Chinese secret services being unable to explain how it happened.
Aquatics GB joined the chorus of disapproval on Tuesday, declaring their concerns over possible consequences of the incident. “We are extremely concerned by allegations concerning positive tests in the buildup to the Tokyo Olympics Games which were reported over the weekend,” the organisation said in a statement.
“The potential loss of trust and reputational damage to sport is significant and we will be monitoring any further updates and possible resolutions closely.”
On Monday, Wada said that in the circumstances it was within the Chinese anti-doping agency’s remit to not make the results public, however Aquatics GB argued that apparent inconsistencies in the process – preliminary test results are customarily released – risked undermining trust in the system.
“Aquatics GB believes that every athlete is entitled to compete on a level playing field – and that means a commitment to clean sport,” the statement said. “Delivery against this commitment requires a testing process that is robust, transparent and consistently applied.
“As we build towards Paris 2024 we are fully supportive of the consistent and comprehensive testing process that our athletes have to follow as a means of keeping sport clean.”
Wada have already come under attack from the American anti-doping agency Usada, which accused it of a “stab in the back to clean athletes”. Usada’s CEO, Travis Tygart, had accused the agency of having “swept these positives under the carpet”.
In response the president of Wada, Witold Banka, suggested that Usada’s remarks were “politically motivated”, but on Tuesday Usada hit back, calling for an independent investigation into the case.
“Given we are on the eve of the 2024 Summer Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, athletes and the public desperately need and deserve confidence in the global anti-doping system headed into these Games,” Usada said.
“An immediate first step to repairing the damage of this cover-up is for governments to appoint an independent prosecutor to review the entire case file of the 23 positive tests and ensure that justice is delivered in these cases.”
