On 9th July, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) released to the world the interim report delivered by the Independent Prosecutor, Mr. Eric Cottier, regarding the no-fault contamination case involving 23 Chinese swimmers. On 15th July, the Anti-Doping Audit Review Committee of World Aquatics also published its conclusive report on the case.

These reports fully demonstrate that the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA)’s investigation findings and decision on this case are reasonable, that the reports on Chinese swimming by some overseas media are once again untrue, and that there is no so-called “cover up” story as unfoundedly alleged and deliberately created by some individual organizations like the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and certain overseas media outlets including the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD. At the same time, the two reports also prove that the existing global anti-doping system is open, transparent and trustworthy to athletes around the globe.

CHINADA has noted that ARD released a documentary entitled “DIRTY GAMES” on 19th July, which again distorts the facts and makes one-sided and wrong interpretation that is out of context about the no-fault Trimetazidine contamination case involving 23 Chinese swimmers. 

ARD claimed in the documentary that the swimmer Zhang Ruixuan posted on the social media platform Weibo that “I am positive. Why didn't I know that?” We checked with Zhang Ruixuan himself, who made it clear in written form that he had never posted the above message on Weibo.

Furthermore, ARD claimed that the athletes involved had been in closed training in Beijing due to the Covid. In fact, CHINADA checked the whereabouts information filed by the athletes at the first opportunity when the investigation was launched in March 2021, and confirmed the information with the athletes one by one during the investigation. There is solid evidence showing that the 23 swimmers were actually training in different training sites in many different provinces including Zhejiang, Shandong, Yunnan, Guangdong, Shanghai and Hubei before they travelled to the competition venue. More specifically, 15 of the 23 swimmers neither trained in Beijing before the Event nor travelled from Beijing to the Event.

In another example, ARD claimed that two or possibly even more of the swimmers involved were not accommodated at the Event-designated hotel, but at another location. The fact is, CHINADA checked the accommodation information with the China Swimming Association and the athletes involved one by one. Based on firm evidence, all the 23 swimmers were confirmed to have stayed and dined at the same one Event-designated hotel during the Event with the room information and the names of their roommates available. Those who did not stay at this hotel were athletes of the Heibei (the host province) team, who stayed and dined at the Hebei training site located at the same complex of the competition venue. No Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs) were reported against these athletes from Hebei team, which further proves the possibility of environmental contamination in the Event-designated hotel.

CHINADA has fully elaborated and explained how we investigated the facts and made the decision on the case in the investigation report submitted to WADA. The issues questioned in the ARD documentary have been explained with detailed and tangible evidence in the investigation report. In addition, when cooperating with FINA (now World Aquatics) in the investigation, CHINADA submitted relevant documents to FINA as requested, which were then reviewed by FINA’s internal legal counsel and external experts, who had no objection that the AAFs resulted from food contamination. 

It then can be seen that ARD’s attack and smearing of the Chinese swimming are made out of fact based on ulterior motives, which has seriously misled the public perception of anti-doping work and tarnished the reputation of CHINADA. We strongly condemn and firmly reject it. 

What is behind the frequent hype around this case by ARD? On one hand, the long-term ideological prejudice of this media outlet has been laid bare, which has basically deprived it of the ability to take an objective view of China’s anti-doping work. On the other hand, this also reveals its vicious intention, under the guise of “seeking the truth”, to legitimize its illegal access to and unauthorized disclosure of the information in the case file, and to politicize the contamination case with fact-distorted and misleading conclusions from its preconceived “review” and “investigation”. We urge ARD to stop smearing and vilifying China’s anti doping work, stop the ridiculous farce of cooked-up rumors and political manipulation, look at their media ethics and relevant laws and regulations, and stop undermining athletes’ confidence and trust in WADA, CHINADA and the current well-functioning global anti-doping system. 

We hereby reiterate that CHINADA, as always, will work for the rights and interests of athletes and the integrity in sport with independence, impartiality, professionalism and openness. We strongly call on colleagues from the media to cover the case objectively and fairly based on the respect for the facts and responsibility for the public, and to concentrate on cases involving real dopers. We would like to work together with the media for the protection of the legitimate rights and interest of athletes and clean sport, and for the stability, collaboration, harmonized development and improvement of the global anti-doping system.