A potentially explosive doping scandal rocked Olympic swimming Saturday after revelations that 23 Chinese swimmers, including gold medalists and world record-setters, tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 and were never punished.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), after three years of silence, acknowledged the positive tests, but sided with China’s anti-doping body, which claimed that all 23 swimmers unknowingly ingested small amounts of the substance and were therefore innocent.
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), however, accused WADA and its Chinese counterpart of “secretly [sweeping] these positives under the carpet”; and investigations by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD raised questions about WADA’s handling of the matter and suspicions of a cover-up.