Two key American athlete groups have sent a letter to the country’s drug czar, calling for a truly independent investigation into the case of 23 Chinese swimmers who were not sanctioned despite testing positive for a banned heart medication. The USA Swimming Athletes’ Advisory Council and the Team USA Athletes’ Commission sent the letter to Rahul Gupta, the director of the federal government’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. Gupta, who is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s executive committee, is expected to participate in a special meeting with other government officials to discuss the doping case. The athletes expressed their concerns about WADA’s failure to follow its own rules and procedures in the wake of the positive tests of the Chinese athletes, stating that it has broken their trust in the organization.
WADA has denied that any rules were broken in the case of the 23 Chinese swimmers, stating that the samples were ruled to be contaminated by Chinese anti-doping authorities and there was no effective way for WADA to appeal that ruling. Despite testing positive for a banned substance, some of the swimmers went on to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Last week, WADA announced that it had appointed a Swiss prosecutor, Eric Cottier, to review how it handled the cases. However, this decision was criticized for various reasons, including the fact that Cottier comes from the same Swiss canton as the International Olympics Committee and World Aquatics, as well as the limited scope of the review.
After a meeting of government leaders from the Western Hemisphere, Gupta released a statement calling WADA’s appointment of Cottier an important first step in addressing the recent doping allegations. However, the athletes remain concerned about the integrity of competition at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic games, questioning whether the playing field is level and the competition fair. The athletes, including prominent swimmer Lilly King, have been vocal opponents of doping in sports and are calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the handling of the cases involving the Chinese swimmers. The athletes’ letter to Gupta highlights their concerns about WADA’s ability to enforce standards that ensure fair play and protect athletes’ rights.
Gupta’s office has not yet responded to the letter from the American athlete groups, and it is unclear what steps will be taken in response to their request for an independent investigation. As governments fund half of WADA’s annual budget, the U.S. has previously withheld payments to the organization when it felt that WADA was not fulfilling its mission adequately. The athletes are seeking transparency and accountability in the handling of doping cases, emphasizing the need for a truly independent review of the processes and procedures that led to the 23 Chinese swimmers not being sanctioned despite testing positive for a banned substance. The outcome of the investigation will have implications for the integrity of sports competition at the highest levels and the trust that athletes have in the anti-doping system.
