China is reportedly facing the prospect of being stripped of an Olympic gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics amid reports more than 20 of the country’s swimmers were allowed to compete at the last Games despite testing positive to a prohibited drug.
News Corp’s Julian Linden reports 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to race at the 2021 Olympics because it was determined they had all been innocent victims of a mass contamination of the same prohibited drug Sun Yang was once banned for.
The International Testing Agency and World Aquatics confirmed they tested positive for the drug trimetazidine, also known as TMZ, at a training camp held just months before the start of the Tokyo Olympics.
Athletes who fail a drug test usually get some form of sanction under the sport’s rules, which state athletes are responsible for any banned substance found in their body.
Chinese anti-doping authorities (CHINADA) deemed that the results were Adverse Analytical Findings (AAF), acquitting all the swimmers without imposing any penalties after finding the positive samples were the result of contamination.
In this case, WADA and World Aquatics said they were satisfied the adverse results were caused by contamination, so the 23 Chinese swimmers had not broken any rules and did not warrant any punishment.
World Aquatics confirmed that its Doping Control Board looked into the results, but was satisfied by the outcome.
“Materials relating to the source of the AAFs were subject to independent expert scrutiny retained by FINA,” World Aquatics told News Corp.
“World Aquatics is confident that these AAFs were handled diligently and professionally and in accordance with all applicable anti-doping regulations, including the World Anti-Doping Code.”
The 30-member Chinese swim team won six medals in Tokyo, including three golds.
This is not the first time trimetazidine has reared its head in world sport. The drug is banned because scientists believe it unfairly enhances athlete performances, particularly in endurance events.
Russian teenage figure skater Kamila Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine two months before the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Russian officials did not immediately disclose the results, allowing her to compete, but she was later given a four-year ban and stripped of the gold medal she won in the team competition.
In 2018, US swimmer Madisyn Cox was given a reduced six-month ban after she tested positive to trimetazidine, even though she could prove it was accidental by tracing the drug back to a batch of contaminated vitamins.
Australia’s Shayna Jack missed the Tokyo Olympics as part of a two-year ban for testing positive to anabolic agent ligandrol.
Sun was initially cleared in 2018 by Chinese officials and FINA after he smashed his samples with a hammer before they could be tested.
He was later found guilty of tampering and banned for four years, although the 32-year-old is training every day and is still on China’s anti-doping testing list — in an effort to make a comeback for the Paris Olympics.
China stripped of gold medal
The revelations come amid reports China’s women’s 4x200m freestyle relay has been stripped of its gold medal from the Tokyo Olympics
SwimSwam first reported American swimmers had been notified China’s relay team from the Tokyo Olympics had been disqualified due to an alleged doping violation.
It means the Chinese will be stripped of their gold medals and world record swim of 7:40.33, which was since broken by Australia at last year’s world titles.
It’s not known who tested positive, but the members of China’s relay team were Yang Junxuan, Tang Muhan, Zhang Yufei, and Li Bingjie in the finals, along with Dong Jie and Zhang Yifan in the prelims.
Australia finished third in the 4x200m relay in what was a disappointing result amid controversy over the entire finals relay team being rested from the heats swim.
The Aussies who would be elevated to a silver medal are Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon, Madi Wilson, Leah Neale, Meg Harris, Mollie O’Callaghan, Brianna Throssell and Tamsin Cook.
Canada finished fourth in the relay and would be elevated to the bronze medal position.
The news is a total bombshell for China’s swimming team, which looms as a genuine challenger to Australia and the USA after assembling a dominant outfit in the pool.
Despite a weakened field, China finished second on the medal tally at this year’s world swimming championships in Qatar with seven golds — one behind the Americans.
Teenager China’s Pan Zhanle is the current world recorder in the men’s 100m freestyle, while Qin Haiyang beat Australia’s Zac Stubblety-Cook in the 200m breaststroke on his way to the 50-100-200 treble at last year’s world titles.
China’s women’s swim team is equally stacked. Olympic champion Zhang Yufei will be among the favorites for gold in both butterfly events in Paris and is a key member of China’s relays.
