Chinese swimmer Fei Liwei was caught in a doping scandal involving 22 other athletes in 2021 before the Tokyo Summer Games. She denied the allegations, claiming unfair targeting. Eleven athletes implicated are now in the Paris 2024 Olympics. China attributes the issue to accidental contamination, wh
A Chinese swimmer, Fei Liwei caught up in a doping scandal involving 22 other Chinese athletes in 2021 ahead of Summer Games in Tokyo. She vehemently denied the accusations on Saturday, claiming their team was unfairly targeted. 11 of the alleged athletes are now participating in the Paris Olympics 2024.
China’s stance
- The Chinese sporting authority has maintained its stance that the alleged doping scandal is a case of accidental contamination.
- Fei Liwei reiterated the Chinese sports authority’s stance and stated, “Our Chinese government on our team always tells us we have the clean model and the clean results and our results right now are based on hard work and training,”.
WADA’s role
- The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has admitted to keeping the doping result secret that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2021, inexplicably accepting China’s claim of accidental contamination.
- WADA did not conduct its investigation, and it further allowed the athletes to continue participating in the competition.
USA’s stance
- The US thinks it is a cover-up on WADA’s part as there is no reason for them to keep the doping results secretive.
- US lawmakers in a statement have claimed that diplomatic pressure to drop the inquiry about the scandal is inappropriate.
- Travis Tygart, head of the US Anti-Doping Agency, accused international officials of a cover-up, claiming that diplomatic pressure to end the investigation into China’s doping scandal was a blatant attempt to bury the truth.
Diplomatic pressure over the USA
- The USA is facing heat from the Chinese media and international sports officials for making vile allegations over WADA.
- The International Olympic Committee issued an ultimatum, threatening to strip Salt Lake City of the 2034 Winter Games unless the U.S. government backed off its investigations into the doping scandal.
- WADA chief Witold Banka launched a scathing attack on the United States, boldly suggesting that American athletes should face increased drug testing scrutiny. Banka remarked, “It’s highly incorrect that one country to impose jurisdiction on antidoping decisions on the rest of the world,”.
This situation has created tension between the US and China, affecting sports politics. Both countries have resorted to an aggressive front asserting their diplomatic powers.
