[An image of swimmers in a swimming pool. Photo credit: Unsplash]

During the Tokyo Olympics, held  in the Summer of 2021, the Chinese swimming team won a valuable gold medal in the 4x200 meter freestyle relay race. 

China’s anti-doping officials have concluded that there was doping among 23 of China’s top swimmers in 2021.

The substance used for doping was identified as trimetazidine, a medication used for certain heart conditions, including angina.

Trimetazidine helps the body use oxygen more efficiently and is therefore on the list of banned substances, making it illegal to use before any sports competition.

The athletes were found to have been under this medication from late 2020 to early 2021, fitting within the time period during which they could be tested for doping.

Despite these findings, the World’s Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) allowed the Chinese swimmers to compete in the Tokyo Olympics regardless of their doping status.

The doping results were kept secret by Chinese officials. 

This case has been handled differently compared to similar cases in the past.

For example, in 2022, when a Russian figure skater tested positive for the same substance, her appeals were rejected, and she faced severe consequences, such as suspension.

While this scandal has occurred outside the United States, the U.S. Federal Justice Department, or the F.B.I, has shown interest in investigating the case.

This is legally permissible under a law passed in 2020, granting them the right to investigate such cases.

As 2024 approaches, concerns are growing about this doping scandal.

Anti-doping officials have not provided clear answers or released detailed information.

This raises questions with the 20024 Olympics less than two months away.

In an interview with the New York Times, Lilly King, a professional Olympic swimming athlete, mentioned, “I am not confident when I get up on the blocks that the people to my right and my left are clean. And that’s really unfortunate, because that’s not something I should have to focus on while racing at the Olympics.”

According to WADA’s press conference videos and transcripts, they had no other choice but to accept China’s explanation that the doping substances were unintentionally ingested, supposedly through contaminated kitchen supplies. 

The conclusion regarding this concern remains unsolved, as there has not been an official and satisfactory explanation for the case.

The doping scandal from 2021 continues to raise issues about trust in the organization as the 2024 Olympics approach.