WADA to launch independent review into Chinese swimmers’ doping case
Al Jazeera
Anti-doping body responds to criticism, says its integrity and reputation are under attack over handling of the case.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has asked an independent prosecutor to review its handling of a case where 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a prescription heart drug.
The organisation will also send a “compliance audit team” to China to “assess the current state of the country’s anti-doping program” run by anti-doping body CHINADA.
WADA has faced criticism since media reports revealed that the swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) – which can enhance performance – ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but were not sanctioned after WADA accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the case was caused by food contamination.
WADA said in a statement that it had asked former Swiss public prosecutor Eric Cottier to review its handling of the case.
“WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack. In the past few days, WADA has been unfairly accused of serious bias in favor of China by not appealing the CHINADA case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor,” WADA President Witold Banka said in a statement on Thursday.
