The swimmers' file, investigated by an independent prosecutor

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA/WADA), at the center of a scandal over the positive tests of 23 Chinese swimmers in 2021, has appointed an independent prosecutor to review its handling of the case, just three months before the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the same time, WADA/WADA will "soon" launch a compliance audit in China to "assess the current state of its anti-doping program." "The integrity and reputation of AMA/WADA are under attack", once again denounced Witold Banka, its president. "We continue to reject the false allegations and are pleased to be able to entrust these matters for investigation by an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor," he added. The decision to appoint Eric Cottier, a retired Swiss prosecutor, was taken unanimously by the Executive Committee which met online last week.

Prosecutor Cottier will benefit from "complete and unimpeded access to all files and documents related to this case". He will start the investigation in the coming days and has two months to present the final report with the conclusions. Regarding the upcoming inspection in China, WADA/WADA announced that it will "invite a number of independent auditors from the anti-doping community to join the audit team for this mission". "No source has provided credible evidence of intentional wrongdoing" on the part of the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive in early 2021 for a banned substance and were never sanctioned, the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA/WADA) said. , the Polish Witold Banka. He was heavily criticized after the revelation related to these positive tests by the New York Times and the German station ARD, he reaffirmed that they were "contaminated" accidentally and not deliberately, knowingly. An investigation by German public broadcaster ARD and the New York Times indicated that 23 Chinese athletes, including several Olympic champions in Tokyo, tested positive in early 2021 but were not sanctioned.

According to the journalists who were part of the specialized newsroom on doping issues within ARD, which had already revealed the doping scandal in Russia at the end of 2014, as well as journalists from the NYT, the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA/WADA) and the International Swimming Federation ( World Aquatics) accepted the explanation of the Chinese authorities regarding the contamination. The China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINA) was not immediately available for comment.

During a competition held in Shijiazhuang (China) at the beginning of 2021, twenty-three of the best Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a substance banned since 2014 on the grounds that it improves blood circulation, according to the ARD documentary. The same substance was found in the blood samples taken at the end of 2021 from the Russian skater Kamila Valieva, who was later suspended from competitions for 4 years. Of the 23 Chinese who tested positive at the start of 2021, 13 participated in the Olympics a few weeks later, including triple medalist Zhang Yufei in Tokyo (gold in the 200m butterfly and 4x200m freestyle and silver in the 100m butterfly ). Wang Shun, Olympic champion in Tokyo in the 200m medley, is also one of the Chinese swimmers who tested positive at the beginning of 2021, as well as Yang Junxuan, silver medalist alongside Wang Shun in the 4x100m mixed relay.