WADA Endorses Controversial Report Clearing Chinese Swimmers of Doping Violations

WADA’s Executive Board Backs Controversial Report on Chinese Swimmers

The executive board of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) convened on Thursday, enthusiastically endorsing a report that reaffirmed its controversial decision to clear 23 elite Chinese swimmers of any doping violations. This endorsement comes despite the report’s author, Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, highlighting that Chinese officials had breached established protocols in their management of the incident.

The final report, which was commissioned specifically by WADA, effectively exonerated the global anti-doping organization from accusations of mishandling the Chinese case. This case has faced significant backlash from Olympic athletes, skepticism from international anti-doping experts, and has ignited a contentious dispute with the Biden administration.

WADA’s decision to quietly absolve the athletes—without disclosing any positive test results—has cast a long shadow over the upcoming Paris Olympics, raising serious questions about the integrity and effectiveness of the global anti-doping framework.

Mr. Cottier’s findings also asserted that there was no discernible bias against China in the management of these swimmers’ cases. Furthermore, he seemed to disregard investigative reporting by The New York Times and other media outlets that have scrutinized WADA’s actions in several alleged mass contamination events involving Chinese athletes. Nevertheless, he did recommend that anti-doping authorities consider tightening their regulations and protocols regarding similar incidents in the future.

However, the report fell short of providing a conclusive answer to the lingering questions surrounding doping within the Chinese athletic community. It failed to alleviate growing concerns about a potential conspiracy that has taken root in elite swimming circles. The report noted, “The sense of justice or injustice goes far beyond the scope of this investigation.”

Amidst the backdrop of the board meeting in a Turkish resort, controversy and uncertainty loomed large, particularly over efforts to exclude a Biden administration official, Dr. Rahul Gupta, from discussions about the Chinese case. This conflict arose following an anonymous complaint which alleged that Dr. Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, had a conflict of interest due to the F.B.I.’s ongoing investigation into the swimmers’ cases.