China dismisses reports of swimmer doping as ‘fake news’

Beijing Denies Reports of 23 Chinese Swimmers Testing Positive for Banned Substance Ahead of Tokyo Olympics

Beijing has dismissed reports claiming that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned substance before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as “fake news”. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that the reports were not factual.

The swimming world was shocked over the weekend by revelations that the Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned prescription heart drug that can enhance performance. Despite this, the swimmers were allowed to compete in Tokyo after China’s explanation that they had unknowingly ingested the substance from contaminated food during a meet in late 2020 and early 2021 was accepted by world governing bodies.

Many of the swimmers went on to win medals, including gold, and are now in line to compete at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stated that there is a lack of credible evidence to challenge China’s version of events.

An Australian coach working with the Chinese Swimming Association also rejected claims of systemic state-run doping, emphasizing that it is far from anything he has witnessed. Wang reiterated China’s zero-tolerance stance on doping and commitment to fair competition in sports events.

The Chinese government maintains that the athletes involved were not at fault and did not commit a doping violation. They have vowed to continue actively contributing to the global fight against doping and protecting the health of athletes.